Recently, I have
been enjoying listening to new releases in the past few weeks at my time on
work placement. I've heard AC/DC's new album, and for a band undergoing a couple
of bad situations they are pulling together quite well for this release. So to
more of my excitement, the beastly beauties from Psychostick have dropped their
new album off. Thanks to the interview I did with them a while back; I have
been keeping an eye out for this release.
Revenge of the Vengeance offer that
slight humour into the title, but yet something different from their previous
material. It's ready to prepare your anuses as the intro to Revenge of the Vengeance brings us to
the rapturous brilliance of “Obey the Beard”. If you own a beard one way or
another, by either watering it or giving it sunlight or you have bought one
from your local joke shop, this is your anthem. The riff is deliciously heavy
and the bass twangs along throughout the song. It's just so... beard. And after
that there’s “President Rhino”, the comical moshing tune that would make you
laugh even if you have a tooth spin kicked out.
“H-flat” gives
us a nice tuning joke, whilst “So. Heavy” continues taking the piss out of
bands with down tuning, which anyone with a guitar can do. Psychostick continue
their escapade of heavy stupidity with “Dogs Like Socks”. This is an anthem to
Psychostick, even though I do love the song, it feels so much better, and if “Super
Legit OFFICIAL Teaser #2 Explode” doesn't make you shit your pants due to the
enriching cumbersome songs yet, then it just gets better. The trailer however
does give me great memories of listening to Crotchduster. Ducks are little
pieces of shit, and “Quack Kills” proves that especially. That twanging bassline still makes Psychostick
songs addictive along with everything else.
I'm sure most of
us have been through the heart wrenching pain of having “Blue Screen”, but this
soft riffy ballad touches you in all sorts of places... Rawrb's vocals are so
beautiful it will make angels rip their wings off and start bitch slapping each
other with them. The word “fuck” is exhilarating in “NSFW”, with that classical
musical element, pure filth is joining it to make is a foul mouthed masterpiece.
A strange one to see on this album, but it's a cover we have all wanted to do
at some point in our lives. “Danger Zone” is next (I was expecting something
like Danger Bone), for what I think is a pretty decent cover. It reeks of Kenny
Loggins, and that stench is great if you grew up with films like Top Gun and
Footloose.
Psychostick
manage to put their own spin on this, and rotate it to an absolutely solid
victory, the last minute made me cry with bliss. “New To The Neighbourhood” is
a classic Psychostick montage, something that will disturb those who love dogs
that hate socks. “Loathe Thy Neighbour” comes after, the line: “She has more
cats than children, by an order of magnitude,” got me giggling. The riffs
continue to be excessively beautiful as well as the choruses. “AWESOME” is
beautifully accurate to those who love monsters trucks that mow lawns, a list
made by fine human beings for fine human beings. “Choking Hazard” returns to
their songs that are in the same category as “Scrotal Torment”. A hilarious take
on a serious matter shows how capable Psychostick are to make something
hilarious. The trashy riff is insanely addictive and keeps this album rapturous
and vicious. Scrotal torment isn't fun for any guy, especially in the summer. “Food”
is a returning theme to Psychostick!
“Fight to the
Death” over a slice of pizza is brilliant, we all have those moments when there
is that last slice of Dominos and everyone eyes it up as if Dita Von Teese
popped out of the pizza box naked. I always get the last slice; I am warrior
when it comes to food. Speaking of warriors, “Bruce Campbell” is possibly the
best tribute song I have ever heard - one of my favourite actors, and now, one
of my favourite songs. It's wrote and played as if it's a national anthem,
which is the main appeal to this. The neighbour joke is back with “Trick or
Treat”, which is the funniest interlude on the album. “Dimension Time Portal”
is in the same league as Girl directions. Spontaneous pops out and interrupts, it's a
great sketch, not really a song as such, if this was the plot to 2012 then I
would of loved that film. The trashiest ending to an album by Psychostick and its
fucking incredible. “The Power of Metal Compels You” is a spoof yet a tribute
paid to heavy metal, and a fine one at that. How fuck the Psychostick haven't
played in the UK recently I don't know, I know so many people who love these
here. The album is fierce and hilarious,, it remains a thrashy, compact
masterpiece with chunky breakdowns and enriched madness.
~Matthew Clewley
