The Thermals

This Portland band's third album takes a sardonic indie punk peek into the god machine. Original sin, Armageddon, the moralization of condoned military killing -- all the fodder of a mega-church near you is in this hymnal, but the musical approach varies slightly from that of past fervid releases. That's not to say that the Thermals have calmed down any on this glorious, full-of-feedback mission to take a good thwack at the religious right.