Last year I reviewed ‘Cloning for a Better Tomorrow’, an album by Tony Byker. I said lots of nice words about that album. Here on ‘Scrotox Ulcer’ Tony is joined by fellow Byker Kev under the moniker STEROID. For those of you who are not gemmed up on essential underground and alternative bands of decades past, these two fellows hail from a band I was rather fond of myself, Gaye Bykers On Acid, and I still fairly regularly give them a spin, but I digress.
The second STEROID release, ‘Scrotox Ulcer’ is a blast, a big and brash blast at that. It is hefty, beefy, squelchy, metallic, and also fun (if you like your fun with barbs and razors). The whole album is laced with spoken word snippets and sound bites, which hail back to the sample addicted era of Pop Will Eat Itself and also Ministry circa ‘The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste’. These lend the album a dramatic feel, like a disaster movie unfolding. Musically, we are talking big brassy balls here, up front, high tempo, high energy, loud and proud. Decades are frolicked with, 90s acid squelch jostling with noughties dubstep, wrestling with the up to date spin on synth wave all while industrial metal guitars lurch in the wings ready to clobber you one. The whole thing is damned catchy and infectious, while pushing the sonics to sizzling, almost too hot to touch, saturation. At times tracks edge even towards digital hardcore territories. As mentioned already, the tempo is high throughout, but not at all repetitive, as they vary from mutant trip hop beats, breaks, four to the floor, dub and even a hint of ragga, this serves to keep the listener on their toes and entirely engaged. Vocally, the variety is there too, delivered in rapid fire shouty burst, layered anthemic melodies, with interesting vocal effects scattered throughout.
During most album reviews, I will single out certain tracks as highlights or deviations. I am struggling here, for good reasons, as I thoroughly enjoy this wicked and wonky ride of an album. It is though well worth me having a try, as some of the track titles will help convey what my words cannot. ‘Debonair Time Travelers’ is particularly likable, with its squelchy bass, off kilter rhythms and swaggering vocal. ‘K-Hole’ is a different beast, relying on a more obvious but no less enjoyable groove, laden with arpeggios, bleeps and squelches. ‘Memoirs of a Murderer’ is frantic, manic and perhaps satanic with ‘Block Chain’ perhaps being the noisiest track amongst these ten on offer. Oh, and all of the others, they’re good too. Seriously, if any of the words, references and comparisons made here sound like any of the music you enjoy, then please do consider this album, it is damn fine.
4/5
