Psychostick - Do (2018)

Comedy is said to be one of the hardest things to pull off, especially in a consistent basis for a long time, which is probably why most comedic acts out there are either short lived, or has faded away in some way or form. So a band like Psychostick should definitely get a lot of respect for continuously providing their fans with really funny content, either it be a brilliant way to promote a show or a new shirt, or in this case, a whole new album. Eh, maybe it is just dumb luck that these guys are now releasing their 5th studio album, but that does not take away the fact that it is quite a feat to reach this far.

So with an epic title like "Do", you would expect some of the most complex and awesome shit that your ear holes have ever encountered. Well, you will have to settle with what Psychostick does best, mixing smart parodies and fun takes on every day problems with a lot of silly stuff, all packaged in an album that have tons of catchy grooves, and is drenched with passionate fun juice flowing from all of the four band members (that sounds kind of gross now that I think about it).

I kind of hate to say it, but a lot of the songs in "Do" hits a little too close to my heart, not because they are great songs, but because they kind of describe me. These songs are about being an introvert with low self esteem, having dreams of just play video games all day long, being as comfortable as possible. This probably makes me laugh even more at these songs, mostly because the band does such an amazing delivery in the comedic timing and the groovy rhythms that accompany the fun lyrics. Close to all of the songs tell a story as well, like in "Introvert Party Time" where the main guy just wants to stay at home, but gets forced to socialize, leading to an unexpected ending that I just cannot spoil.

Then we have the handful of songs that are just extremely silly, not really serving any purpose besides making you smile. Songs like "Tuesday", "Do", "Keys", and "Bacon, Egg, & Cheese On Toast W/ Shiracha" are empty calories that you happily digest in your brain, humming along to them from time to time. Just a song like "Thinkin' With Yer D" is incredibly stupid, but I have hummed its infectious melody so many god damn times, and I am not ashamed of it one bit. I think only the "Ducktales" theme is more infectious (fuck, now I got that in my brain).

As stated before though, there is a lot of smart stuff in here as well, and most of that can be found in the slower songs. "Stream Stutter" talks about the pain when you are not level with your spouse on a show, and "Rent In Peace" is a brilliant parody on 90's Metallica, while singing about video rental stores. The ace in the sleeve however is, as always when it comes to Psychostick, songs about hate, and I think they have outdone themselves this time with "From The Heart", a heartfelt ballad with a simple and timeless message, that I fucking hate you. The perfect song to send to your enemy.

The most laughs actually did not go to a song, but one of the three skits. All skits (all having titles that start with "Got_No_Breaks") is about the band working on a song about unstoppable motivation, and while the first and third part are fun, they did not come close to the extreme amount of air gasping laughs that the second part got. Every time Matty Moose goes "It's never been done before", I just lose my mind over the mad stupidity that is happening. that skit alone outweighs the few low points of the album, like "Uhhhnngg", "Gurrrrr", the obligatory outtakes, and that strange T-Pain parody "Flop" at the end of the record. I just did not get that last one at all.

So even if "Do" does not meet the pure epicness of its title, it might be one of the most complete Psychostick albums up to this date. The previous 4 albums have all been really fun to listen to, but they have had a bunch of blanks thrown in that does make them feel like Swiss cheese. "Do" is more like Gouda, it is easy to take in and remember, and while it might not be the most complex experience you have ever had, it is one you would like to relive again and again. What more needs to be said other than that "Do" is fun as hell, and it brings a smile to your face every time you turn it on. To quote those famous words uttered by Shia LaBeouf, "What are you waiting for? JUST DO IT!".

Songs worthy of recognition: Introvert Party Time, Adulting, From The Heart, Thinkin' With Yer D, Rent In Peace

Rating: 8,5/10 Keys

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IV: Revenge of The Vengeance

Psychostick - IV: Revenge of The Vengeance (2014)

Sometimes metal can be boring. About 99% of the bands are so extremely serious that it seems like they have lost, or never had any sense of humour at all. That is why I can appreciate a band like Psychostick, who has devoted their entire musical career with writing metal music that also makes you laugh. Some people may find their style stupid and juvenile, which I actually also do to, but they do it with such style that makes it hard to dislike them. I mean, doesn't everybody like to be stupid once in a while, just to let loose? Just me? Oh well.

No matter how strange it may sound, "IV: Revenge of The Vengeance" is the band's fourth studio effort, created in their own studio and funded by their Indiegogo campaign they had a year ago. And if you have not heard of who these guys are, I suggest that you search for their channel on Youtube, then you will get how these guys work. It is just four guys that wears funny hats (except for the drummer), acts real silly, and are obsessed with beer, taco, and Bruce Campbell. But the most important of all, it is four guys that are having tons of fun, and it is so reflective in the music. Everything from the skits to the instrumentation feels alive.

It is also easy to pick a favourite song in a Psychostick album. The tracks that makes you laugh the most is often the one that you enjoy the most. I for one got a good chuckle out of "Loathe Thy Neighbor" where the singer Rawrb (yes, that is his name) complains over grumpy grannies, annoying hicks, and other annoying neighbours. Damn, Psychostick is good at writing songs about hating something or someone. I also love the paranoia in "Quack Kills", the fantastic (and sort of creepy) celebration to the actor Bruce Campbell, the fast paced "Obey The Beard" and the satire over the death core sound in "So. Heavy.".

But behind the funny lyrics lies a sound that is often very groovy, and has a certain amount of heaviness that is nice, but not impressive. I would say that the sound leans a lot towards the typical American hard rock sound that we have heard from tons of other bands like Papa Roach and AFI, but it still feels original enough for the band to not be associated with those bands, even if the similarities are there sometimes. The track "Blue Screen" could easily have been written in the late 90's or early 00's and is pretty unoriginal. However, the fact that it acts like a love song towards a computer just makes me love the song, and it also works as a satire for these kinds of songs.

But Psychostick does not hit it right in all of the songs in "IV: Revenge of The Vengeance". The song "NSFW" is literally a song where the only thing happening is that the band is trying to go for the world record in saying the word fuck as many times as possible in one song. I never thought that word would lose its meaning, but it certainly did after only one listen through that song. I also find the cover of the Kenny Loggins song "Danger Zone" decent, but seeing what they did to the Dope song "Bodies" in their last album, "Space Vampires Vs. Zombie Dinosaurs In 3D", I expected more from the band instead of some alternation at the end. Also, is it really necessary to incorporate a bloopers outtake at the end of the album just because you are a humour band?

Then we have the skits that are evenly spread out throughout the album. They are all moderately funny, but none of them are really amazing. The two skits that features Billy Manspeaker from the band Green Jellÿ, "New To The Neighborhood" and "Trick or Treat", does not have a very long life span, while "H-flat" works fine as an intro to "So. Heavy". The most impressive skit is definitely "Dimensional Time Portal", in which a dimensional time portal is opened up during a Psychostick show and makes the panties of the female population to glow, causing them to lose all interest for sexual activity. And the only thing that can save Earth is metal, which is shown in the following track, "The Power of Metal Compels You". A insane concept that is just typical Psychostick.

Sometimes, stupid metal can be pretty good, and this is one of those occasions. Psychostick succeeds in their mission of tingling my laughing nerve and does it with a sound that is groovy and pretty cool. I definitely prefer "IV: Revenge of The Vengeance" over 90% of the sitcoms that are released now a days because it entertains me, and you notice that the band members have really put their heart and soul in the material. So yeah, it is stupid, it is juvenile, and it is a high risk that your IQ will drop by a couple of points when you listen to this album, but I would rather be a happy fool than a sad genius. So sit down, open up a beer, take a bite out of your taco, and enjoy the stupidity.

Songs worthy of recognition: Blue Screen, Obey The Beard, Lothe Thy Neighbor, Bruce Campbell

Rating: 7,5/10 Dogs that likes socks

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Do