WARTOAD - What Rough Beasts ALBUM REVIEW

Al Dijon: Organ, Mellotron, Drums, Vocals

Butch Dante: Guitar, Vocals, Whistle

Calvin Voltz: Guitar, Bass, Drums, Kalimba, Vocals

Charlie Danielson: Bass, Vocals, Guitar

Diego Fontana: Drums, Vocals

Hal McNulty: Vocals, Bass, Guitar

Kip Larson: Drums, Vocals

Nigel Stevens: Vocals

Tony “Terk” Downing: Drums

With a sound that I can only describe as the lovechild of 70's & 80's punk rock music combined with the obtuse, obscure and unpredictability of The Gorillaz comes US meets UK punk band WARTOAD. Every tune from WARTOAD's 2018 album "What Rough Beasts" is a transcendental trip down the rabbit hole into a trippy, punk rock rooted experience. From opening track "I Get High" to closing track "Shove It" is a 70's and 80's rock and punk rock one of a kind infused experience.

WARTOAD - MOVE

From opening track of WHAT ROUGH BEASTS you're thrust into this world of oldies rock-and-roll meets 70's punk. Opening track I GET HIGH & GENTRIFICATION are like a straight post hippie era jam songs mixed with the mid-70's "spit in your face" attitude with bands like The Germs. Tunes like ...COMING ON STRONG, BLACK T-SHIRT and MEAN TO ME have almost this rock and roll feel to them with the Chuck Berry style chords in Mean to Me, to The Animals or The Zombies style chords and Hammond B-3 organ in Black T-Shirt.

Tunes like DRUID LUNCH PARTY and ...AND FUCK OFF are kind of stand alone tunes, and fuck off though reminds me of an early Social D tune. Tunes like ALCOVE FEVER, SHOVE IT & SWALLOW THE LEADER sound like a 70's rock meets Dead Kennedys style of writing with the obscure chord progressions, spoken parts and "off the rails" bass riffs. Wartoad are most definitely a one of a kind punk rock band that has a sound you don't hear much in music anymore. But don't take my word for it. Hear for yourself! (BELOW).