Some of these albums have been stewing in the review-pot for yonks now, so it’s time to unleash the hellish-hounds upon this unsuspecting world via a nice review of 250 words or less.
BRUCE!-BRUCE! THE EP
If you’re keen for some metal, then there’s nowhere better to look than old mates from the ‘Gong, BRUCE! These four fearsome guys know how to thrash the shit out their guitars, wringing out a sound that comes damn close to a sludgier version of Anthrax or Judas Priest. Similar to I Am Duckeye, who are some Sydney dudes who also don’t give a fuck, BRUCE! excel at making heavy shit that you can play around your mates that are a little more inclined to listening to shitty music. I mean, you don’t introduce someone to demon-summoning music with Possessed’s ‘Seven Churches’, you go with a de-tuned riff-fest courtesy of BRUCE!, full of fucking sick guitar solos and wailing sounds. This is maiden-saving music, man, and when you’re speeding down a highway at 110 km on your way to the ‘Gong, you’d be an idiot not to chuck “Captain” or “Sludge” into the HIGHWAY 2 H3LL MIX, between “Raining Blood” and “Seek And Destroy”.
The Nuclear Family – The Nuclear Family
If you’re angry, and are sick and tired of listening to Metallica or Black Flag as a means of translating aggression, then chuck on The Nuclear Family. I’m no psycho-analyst, but playing stuff like “Mindless” or “Disposable Razor” makes me feel like 110%. I feel like I can take on the world, or at the very least, bring the bins in from outside. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll actually go outside, and face the demonic being known as ‘sunlight’. Although it’s hardly as demonic as these guys. They absolutely shred, turning their instruments into a barking Cerberus that absolutely loved listening to ‘Bleach’ by Nirvana as a teenager. The sounds are guttural and revolting, churning like the wheels of a train bound for hell, carrying a platoon of the Seventh Circle’s most violent scum.
In all honesty, The Nuclear Family are one of the best noisy punk bands to come into existence since Zeahorse. Their songs are original, visceral, and completely dominating of one’s attention. If A Nuclear Family track comes on, you listen the fuck up. When the finale of “Mindless” announces itself, a chainsaw bass/guitar duel decapitating whoever is on vocals, and as helicopter blade drums crash in all directions…that’s the kind of exhilarating rush that has been missing for a little while. Seriously, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of this band’s EP before they ascend to Valhalla.
Mighty Boys – Dole Cheque and Kabana
Mighty Boys are a band that immediately recall Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Ausmuteants and The UV Race, and in the best way possible. Whilst some bands can’t really succeed past employing all the traits of their heros, Mighty Boys add this weird aggression and subtle humour to their music that seperates them just enough from their idols, and lets their debut breathe a little more comfortably. However, that’s easy enough when your band has created an album so chock full of amazing songs. These tracks just fucking pound and enthrall in the same way that Clowns do. They’ve got an irreverent side (“Hippy Shakes”, “Sexpo”), and a focused side that zeros in on political dissent and fucked up shit (“Deniliquin”, “Schoolgirls”). But overall, when you’re listening to ‘Dole Cheque and Kabana” the main thing that arises is that you’re listening to a supremely fucking fun record, one that would kick ass in a live setting. So, hopefully they’ll make their way to Sydney soon, and we can all yell about copping free black dildos together. AND ACHIEVE WORLD PEACE!
Rat King/Sewers – Leather
And now for something completely and utterly fucked up. If you can’t name a Swans record, then you’re probably not going to be into this near 15-minute ode to lo-fi noise and disturbing the peace. Rat King (Brisbane band, not the hip-hop group) absolutely plunder the senses with their contributions “Browood” and “Sick Pills”, the latter being an especially pungent carcass of goodness. Meanwhile, Sewers unleash “Chinese Tommy” and “Japanese Train Driver”, two songs of hectic, hurtling and unhinged punk of the gutter variety, like a modern day Germs. If Robert De Niro’s character in Taxi were in a punk band, it’d be Sewers for sure. A mutilation of the senses, ‘Leather’ is a keen fix if you’re into the noisier, despicable side of things.
Killa Kung Fu Wolf Bitch – Why Not Both EP
This is probably closer to straight up rock and roll, but the amount of fuzz and lo-fi quality points to an ultimate DIY approach, so fuck it, this is my blog, I’ll do what it want. But anyway, this one-man band outta Sydney who happens to like the amazing Boondocks series has some fucking great songs on display. It’s about as redundant and teenage as they come, but they’re rock and roll jams to make regretful decisions to. All three tracks on here are distinctly great, like B-sides from an early Descendants period. Like other young Sydney spunks Bachelor Pad and Claire & the Cops, KKFWB hits me right in the sweet spot for rock and roll ultra fun times yeah!
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
