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Non-Prog CD Reviews

The Meatmen

Savage Sagas from the Meatmen

Review by Gary Hill

There is a definite link between hardcore punk and metal. In fact, thrash and hardcore really seem to have sprung from the same school of music. The Meatmen play a sound that is generally on the punk end of the equation, but as this set shows, they can cross that line at times. This album (set up by sides like a record) is quite a good one. They manage to move from skits to hardcore to old-school punk and even stoner metal. The whole thing is delivered with the classic Meatmen sense of humor. Mind you, these guys aren’t some kind of pop punk. This is the real deal and it’s likely to offend many people at one time or another. Virtually every song deserves a parental advisory and you’ll note some of the titles have been edited for the track by track at MSJ. Suffice it to say this is an entertaining set that’s highly recommended to fans of real punk rock.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2014  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Side A
Men O Meat
Well, they earn the parental advisory right at the start. This is frantically fast and very short (less than a minute). It drops to a slow blues styled jam right at the end for the final chorus.
Dinosaur
This is almost metal. Sure, it is definitely hardcore punk, but there’s a lot of metal fury and crunch in the mix. There is a slower grind mid-track and then a scorching guitar solo follows that section.
I'm Gonna F*** You Up
It’s hard to believe, but this is even faster than the opening two songs. It’s furious hardcore punk that just plain screams. As the title indicates, this is both angry and parental advisory laden.
P***ed Hot for Weed
A metal edge is heard on this smoking hardcore jam. There’s a stripped back section for the verse. It almost has some psychedelic rock in the mix. It’s another that’s close to three-minutes in length.
Death Rig 9000
I really love the scorching mean riff that drives this. It’s another that lands somewhere in the territory between metal and punk. I love the jam mid-track, too. This is one of my favorite cuts of the whole disc. They cut this down to glacially slow at the end.
Anna Moose
Old time rock and roll merges with punk on this. It’s a fun stomper.
K K K
Quick and fierce, this is great hardcore.
The Ballad of Stinky P***s
Tongue in cheek country western balladeering, this is funny. It’s also fun.
The Dwarves Are the 2nd Greatest Band in the World
Aggressive thrashy hardcore brings us back to the fury here. I love the guitar solos on this.
They Just Don't Make Em' Anymore
Here we get more furious hardcore.
Side B
Shecky Presents...

This is a spoken extended bit of a guy introducing people to the Amateur Night in the next song.

It's Amateur Night at Uncle Bux Bikini Club
We get some more furious hardcore punk here.    
Speed Kills (But It Sho' feels Good)
This is metallic thrash. It’s definitely the kind of thing that falls between the genre. Really, this isn’t that far removed from early Metallica.
Big Bloody Booger on the Bathroom Wall
Another that’s a lot like metal, this is slower.
Billy's Birthday Surprise
This is a skit about a punk rock doll for kids.
Rock 'n Roll E***a
Furious hardcore, this is another strong tune.
Pork Chop and a .22
There’s a skit at the introduction and they launch out into some scorching hardcore meets rock and roll. This really has a lot of rockabilly in it.
12" Soft

Here is a killer punk tune with a real old school sound.

Wizards of the Oblivion
Bass starts this as a stoner rock kind of thing. As the other instruments join, they maintain that sound. Spoken vocals paired with screamed ones in the background continue that concept. Thus really has a stoner metal epic feeling to it. At over four minutes in length, as far as The Meatmen go, this is epic in proportion. Mid-track it shifts to a faster paced jam that’s very Black Sabbath-like.
"the Guy"

The closing track is a skit with a guy who (one hopes) must be the most annoying fan of all time.

 
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