So, Slimy Member are completely new to me. A quick google revealed some of the most disturbing images I’ve ever seen in my life, a quick google for “Slimy Member bandcamp”, revealed that this is a debut album, following on from their self-titled ep. Hailing from Dallas, Texas the record starts very strongly, Nightmare World builds up through a quick intro to an in-your-face minute and a half of defiance. Musically they are very reminiscent of early west coast US-punk, though they sound a little more UK/European than most American bands do. I’m not sure if their name is a direct reference to the Rudimentary Peni song, but the musical influence is there, albeit somewhat more melodic in this case, and with very different vocals. They have a horror-punk feel, although they’ve thankfully avoided too many zombie-tropes going for a darker borderline-nihilistic feel. The vocals are strong, reminding me of T.S.O.L’s Jack Grisham with a (likely unintentional) hint of Roi Pearce (Last Resort/4-Skins). If I had a complaint it would be that while the vocals come across as strong, they are a little overly-distorted for my tastes.
It’s hard to pick a stand out track as the whole record is of a high standard, though Oceanic is notable in having a slightly more cleaned up vibe, and being the only track to break the two-and-a-half-minute barrier. All Too Real has a hint of the classic rock about it and would make the perfect title music for CSI: Sodom and Gomorrah.
There’s maybe a bit of “same-ness” to some of the tracks, but it’s not too much and the album flows nicely. I can see myself coming back to it, and it does make me want to see them live. A good solid debut from a promising band, I’ll keep an eye out for future releases and hopefully they can kick on from here.
You can buy Ugly Songs For Ugly People from: https://slimymember.bandcamp.com/album/ugly-songs-for-ugly-people
Moz
Lee "Moz" Morrissey is a punk rock and reggae fan, a sceptic, (sometimes even a skeptic), and a Manchester United supporting loudmouth.