TYKES WITH GUNS
Project Testiculate
Independent

Tykes With Guns CD cover 03.jpg (43952 bytes)

  If Beavis & Butthead had made it to college, discovered a sense of irony and immersed themselves in the collected works of Barnes & Barnes, they would have been Tykes With Guns. An especially ominous intro/guest appearance by Yngwie Malmsteen leads into the third disc from the demented South Carolina group and Project Testiculate is a definite step up for the quartet. While the recording is still strictly lo-fi and the approach is positively confrontational, the musicianship has improved significantly. A new track called “Never The Same Twice” featuring drummer Allin Rice (aka Nilla) on vocals is the perfect example of this. A dreamy, moody guitar lick is augmented by a tiny, weird falsetto vocal as the track as a whole conjures images of the Alice Cooper Group circa Pretties For You. Other highlights include the stage favorites “Rocka So Hard” and “Teabaggin’ The Dinosaur.” Without the onstage eye-candy of simulated beastiality, out of shape male strippers and flying deli meat, previous Tykes discs never captured the raw energy of the band live. That’s not a problem here. With the massively chunky, metallic ode to tight pants, “Nuthugger,” the band raids the Spyhunter theme and turns in what sounds like a live soundboard tape. It’s raw, numbing, unabashedly homoerotic and one of the best things they’ve ever done. This being Tykes With Guns, the disc is not complete without a pair of really irritating misfires. Here, that distinction goes to the back-to-back inclusion of “Gonorrhea For Christmas” and “Rabbit Run.” The former is just stupid (not in the good, usual Tykes way) and answers the question what would Blink-182 and Bloodhound Gang sound like if they got wasted and tried to record on really crappy equipment. Added bonuses: for the first time on a Tykes disc, front man Tyke J almost sings. Check out the catchy “Rocka So Hard” for proof. This track is also chock full of lead guitarist Tyke R’s Dressed To Kill-era Ace Frehley licks. On Testiculate, even bassist Jesus McChrist steps up to the mic for the moronic, but somehow still funny “Where’s Yo Dick?” which also features a new wave keyboard freak out from Ben Sadler. Rumor has it that Tykes With Guns has already imploded into a pile of disgusting, chopped-meat flavored memories. If this is true, let Project Testiculate stand as a final steaming pile on the doorstep of the increasingly boring music industry. If nothing else, when Tykes sucked, they sucked with the best of ‘em. In the immortal words of Tyke J, “Thank you. Fuck you. Goodnight.” (www.tykeswithguns.com)

 Chris McKay/concertshots.com

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