SUICIDE BOMBERS "All For The Candy"

 

(c) 2024 SUiCiDE Records

1. Intro: Candy Girls Worldwide
2. Dynamite Playboys
3. Take It Off
4. Tonight Belongs To Us
5. Out Of Love
6. You Better Believe It
7. All For The Candy
8. Caligulizer
9. Videodrome 2049
10. Last Call
11. Where Time Always Goes
12. Outro: Fin De Cette Motherf**king Transmission

"The Sleaze Fuhrer" Chris Damien Doll--Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

"The Sex Toy" Stevie Teaze--Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals

"The Thunder Mechanic" C. Slim--Bass, Backing Vocals

"The Beat Commando" Lyle Starr--Drums

The Bombers are back!  The Bombers are back!

Five years since the boys unleashed the sleazy deliciousness of Murder Couture, the entire crew is back to wreak havok once again with their latest slab of sonic mayhem, All For The Candy.  Coming off such an extended break can sometimes be an issue for bands, but with all the boys back, I had high hopes for this one when it came oozing across my desk...

There is absolutely no slacking off for these boys as the band picks up right where they left off...which is with one of the band's signatures (and one of my pet peeves)...the intro.  As has been the case on all of the band's albums, we have both an intro and an outro to work around on this latest effort, but at just :28 seconds, the intro was at least an opportunity for me to try top recall some high school French, which I failed to do, and we are quickly into the real meat of the album in a flash.

"Dynamite Playboys" is a vicious...VICIOUS...metallic assault on the eardrums, with Starr absolutely demolishing his kit in machine-gun fashion, as the Bombers scream to life in near thrash fashion!  Seriously, this is a fierce way to open things up musically, and I wonder if the intro wasn't actually a great idea here, as going from complete silence to "Dynamite Playboys" might be enough to lay an average man low!  Doll is at his gritty, snarling best here, with urgent-sounding backing vocals bolstering the sound, and the savagery of Doll's rhythm guitar, paired with Slim's bass, create an absolutely rock-solid sonic path for Teaze to send his leads screaming across!  It is evident these guys did not just sit back and hide behind their masks during the pandemic-fueled layoff of a couple of years, as these guys are laser-sharp and virgin-tight from note one, and "Dynamite Playboys" jumped immediately into my gym workout rotation the moment I finished hitting repeat!

"Take It Off" tames the savage beast just a bit,  at least as far as tempo goes, but that's probably due to the additional dose of sleaze drizzled across the track.  The tone Teaze uses here hearkens back to the style and sound employed by the gutter-trash heroes of the Sunset Strip's underbelly in its 80s hey day.  As has always been the case with this band, Doll doesn't feel the need to try to scrape rafters with high-pitched screams and falsetto wails, instead employing a gutteral, sneering style that adds to the nastiness of the music, and on "Take It Off", this is used to masterful effect.  

Slim is given a bit of a chance to let his bass step into the spotlight on the intro of "Tonight Belongs To Us," which picks the tempo back up just a bit and adds in a bit of an LA Guns vibe.  Particularly strong here are the gang-shouted backing vocals and the hard-charging rhythm guitars of Doll, which might be one of the most overlooked strengths of the band.  Again, this is an absolutely locked-in track with one of the best leads from Teaze on the entire album.  Even though this isn't my absolute favorite track on the album, it is so freaking good that an album of songs of this quality would be better than 90% of the schlock that gets sent to my inbox and my mailbox on a regular basis.  This is top-shelf stuff, folks!

"Out Of Luck" is a wicked good track that takes things down a slightly different path musically, as there is a classic 80s Scorpions vibe to the lead guitars that is impossible to miss.  In no way am I saying this is a rip-off track, and I am definitely not saying it is a skip/filler track, as it 100% needs to be heard, but there is an undeniable style change here that I think showcases the band's versatility more than anything.  The production, the rhythm guitars, the vocals are all still very much in the modern sleaze vein, but the retro twist to the guitars tone and approach is fun and had me hitting repeat more than once.

"You Better Believe It" again leans heavily on some excellent lead work from Teaze and the really strong gang vocals that are present throughout the record.  I don't recall the boys sounding this vocally tight on past albums (I'm going to need to check on those first couple of records again), but this is a continuation of the maturing process I think they really showed with Murder Couture, which in 2019 I considered to be "the pinnacle of the band's catalog," it was so strong.  These guys know who they are and how they want to sound, and the have mastered what a Suicide Bombers track should be...with "You Better Believe It" falling firmly into that category.

Speaking of definitive songs, the album's title track is up next and would be my favorite of the album were it not for "Dynamite Playboys" and a surprise at the end of the album (more on that in a bit).  "All For The Candy" is another absolute screamer of a track, that may not be quite as aggressive as "...Playboys" but doesn't miss by much.  The filth flies off the rhythm guitars here and Doll spits and snarls his way through the verse sections, meeting up at the chorus with Teaze and Slim, who throw their own voices into the mix in a perfect storm of nastiness!  The lyrical aim of the track is impossible to miss, as Doll sneers "I get hard...know what I mean? I ain't hard to please...get down on your knees!" and with a guitar tone as raunchy as the lyrics, this is pretty much modern sleaze at its finest.

"Caligulizer" is a snotty, punk-infused banger that carries a guitar tone reminiscent of GnR's "Out Ta Get Me", but features far better backing vocals and a much bigger drum sound.  "Videodrome 2049" is another clenched-fist rocker that cruises along atop a concrete rhythm section and Doll employs a ballsy swagger to his vocals, especially on the chorus section, that is missing in so much music these days.  

"Last Call" is one more big, thundering track with a huge drum presence and a savage rhythm guitar line that again hints at LA Guns but with nastier intent.  Teaze absolutely goes off in an attempt to melt his fretboard on the solo, and I'm pretty sure Starr is on his 9th or 10th set of heads on his kit by now, as he absolutely lays waste to the drums here. To me, this would have been the perfect track to end on (outro track excepted), were it not for the inclusion of "Where Time Goes Away." 

I'll be perfectly candid; "Where Time Goes Away" throws me for a bit of a loop.  Heck, it flips me for a doozie of a loop!  Never in my craziest of musical dreams does Suicide Bombers pull off something on this level, and that's not a knock on the band, because I love these guys and what they do.  And it's not that I hate the track, because it is 100% the opposite.  It's an insanely well-written ballad, with a level of muscianship that is stupifying.  A piano leads the track, adding a chill that is matched only by the equally haunting tone of Teaze's guitar.  Doll proves he can back off of the snarl and deliver his vocals in a far more emotive...dare I say gothic style...while refusing to stray from the violent, sleazy lyrical approach the Sleaze Fuhrer typically employs.  "Where helicopters collide, and explode in slow motion..."  What the hell is that?  Nobody writes lyrics like that, especially for a ballad!  I have to admit that I find myself drawn into the epic darkness of the lyrics, and I can't say enough about the musicality of this song...it's stunning!  I just am not 100% sure it fits the rest of the album.  There is nowhere else this track could have been placed without it coming across as jarring as plowing your car straight into a concrete wall at 120 mph...without a seatbelt....and it would have been an incredible shame for people to not be able to hear the exquisite musicianship and songcrafting at work here.  This is the Bomber's "November Rain", an epic that truly deserves to be heard, but is unlike anything you have ever heard from the band you thought you knew so well.  Should it have been a bonus track after the outro?  Perhaps as a hidden track?  No...too many people would have missed it.  Maybe it doesn't matter if it fits the rest of the album.  Maybe all that matters is that you hear this thing and marvel at what the Suicide Bombers have created here.

While it seemed crazy to consider that this band could improve upon Murder Couture, Doll, Teaze, Slim, and Starr have done just that, pushing themselves to be even tighter, even more aggressive, and even sleazier than on albums past! Expect All For The Candy to be right there at or near the top of numerous "best of 2024" lists when the year comes to a close!  This is modern sleaze done right!  Hopefully we won't have to wait another half-decade for the Bomber Boys to return this time around!

Rating:  Exquisitely Crankable!  Turn this sleazy scorcher up to 9.5!

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KEVIN PIKE "Heavenly Realms"

(c) 2024 Roxx Records

1. Atomic Dragon
2. Heavenly Realms
3. The Landing
4. Future World
5. Beyond The Valley
6. Ode To The King
7. G.P.S.
8. Orion
9. The Journey Home

Kevin Pike--All Lead and Rhythm Guitars

Timothy Gaines--Bass

Arnaud Krakowka--Drums

It was not that long ago when Arsenal guitarist, Kevin Pike, unleashed his debut solo instrumental album, Guitar Graffiti, upon us.  Enlisting the aid of longtime Stryper bass player, Timothy Gaines, and drummer, Arnaud Krakowka, Pike delivered an EP of insane speed, technical virtuosity, and melodic textures that I had not encountered in quite some time.  As a huge fan of the old Shrapnel Records shred albums, it was a pleasant surprise, to say the least, to hear a player weave the type of musical magic that Pike did on that first all-too-short effort.  Now, less than 18 months later, Pike has returned to blaze his way into your soul once again with his new full-length release, Heavenly Realms.

Picking up right where he left off, Pike sets out immediately to lead you on a musical voyage filled with twists and turns as he varies speeds, sounds, techniques, and styles.  Once again completely devoid of vocals, Pike's guitars get to do all the singing on the album, and there is plenty these songs have to say!

"Atomic Dragon" kicks things off in magnificent fashion, as it is a spectacular opener that really sets the tone for the adventure that unfolds here.  Melodic flourishes burst from the strings, conjuring up images of bursts of flame erupting from the scaled beast, as it takes flight, charging along the path charted by the extended solo Pike lays out here.  Swift and powerful, the dragon charges forth, his roar erupting from the talk box Pike employs at about the 2:40 mark of the track, only to turn and frantically fly away as the track closes.  

The title track, "Heavenly Realms," is up next, with its bold, anthemic delivery that at times evokes early Shrapnel-era Marty Friedman, especially in the note-density on display during the tracks frenzied solo!  A flurry of notes just screams from the frets before suddenly backing off, allowing a more laid back, melodic style to interject itself before returning to the opening riff and pattern of the track.  Excellent stuff that fuses speed metal with some jazz influences near the middle.

"The Landing" is one of my favorites here, despite it's brevity (just a hair over 2 minutes on the clock).  This is exactly the type of track that frequently served as a mood changer on older shred albums, as it is just Pike and his guitar...no drums or bass to build upon.  Pike's skills are on full display here as he weaves his way through this composition with insane fluidity and dexterity.

As I mentioned, "The Landing" serves as a mood changer here, as it sets the stage for "Future World," a bold track that serves two masters at the same time for me, as Pike sets the song up with incredibly intricate acoustic Spanish guitar (which I have admitted I am a sucker for!), only to plug in, and then rip into some fantastically clean and precise fret runs that both scream and soar.  Featured on the Roxx compilation Preachers Of The Underground Vol. 2, "Future World" is a great track on which to explore two starkly different sides of Pike's playing melded together perfectly.

"Beyond The Valley" is another of my favorites, as the entire track is comprised of the intricate acoustic Spanish guitar that "Future World" teases in its intro.  I could listen to an entire album of Pike performing this type of music, as he has a real feel for the complex patterns that are woven into the acoustic tapestry of this type of playing.  No fretboard squeaks or squawks can be found in this cleanly performed piece that evokes memories of a time, and musical style, that has largely passed.  I always find myself in awe of players who can work in this style with such nimble dexterity and speed, while still managing to remain clear in tone and clean in presentation.  Breathtakingly brilliant, "Beyond the Valley" is a perfect example of deceptively difficult style to play which is made to sound simplistic by a player of Pike's talent.

"Ode To The King" keeps things amplified throughout, and while speedy in all the right places, it is a very smooth, very majestic sounding song, not a frantic headbanger.  The same can be said for it's follow-up, the fun "G.P.S." which maps a seemingly simplistic musical course with its basic line, only to take you off the beaten path with several rapid-fire fret runs and an extended solo that seems to take you on a musical road that is nowhere near the chart you had originally plotted.  And just like an off-road trip you didn't plan to take, you don't know quite how you ended up on the road you traveled, but you absolutely enjoyed the crazy ride!

"Orion" is another short musical interlude of just Pike and his guitar, with him once again leaning on the acoustic, Spanish style that he obviously enjoys playing.  The shortest track here, "Orion" is a beautiful transition piece that sets up the final, full-powered run of "The Journey Home," another speedy, yet surprisingly smooth, melodic fret melter that shifts tempos a couple of times, drops a false ending on you at about the 1:45 mark, and has a big crescendo build leading into the final extended solo that runs the track to its fade out, setting the stage for the album to wrap around and replay itself, almost without missing a beat.

Gaines' and Krakowka provide a solid backbone structure for Pike to assemble these songs upon, with both seemingly aware of their role here.  That being said, it is not that either is restrained in any manner in their performances, rather it is understood that the guitars here are the driving force and are given the full opportunity to shine front and center. 

Every bit the musical equal to Guitar Graffiti, Heavenly Realms is jam packed with musical skill and impassioned playing that simply isn't heard often enough in the rock and metal world today.  Again, instrumental music may not be what everyone turns to on a regular basis, but when it is performed at this level, with this amount of emotion poured into playing, as well as the structure and composition, it is a style that is well worth giving a listen.  Kudos to Roxx Records for giving a talent such as Kevin Pike's a canvas on which to display his sonic art.  Speaking of art, check out the fantastic cover work provided by Rafael Tavares Gripp, which I feel could also fit the "Future World" concept, as well as the Heavenly Realms name.  

Rating:  Definitely crankable, and a step above it's predecessor.  Turn this one up to an 8.5!  

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