the Dahmers – River City Skyline
There’s nothing wrong with knockoffs. The Asian-made version of the famous American sneakers is often great. The American mangas are more entertaining than the ones drawn under the Tokyo lampshade. And, very often, the bands that dream themselves as belonging to another place and time, to a musical scene that doesn’t exist anymore, are the most entertaining groups.
Swedish bands are the kings of 1970s American garage-rock and punk. Think of what the Dahmers are doing as a kind of fan fiction, or even, a way to rewrite history and make it better.
Sure, retro garage rock made in the States is famous. But were the bands really properly recorded? Were there enough good songs made back then to keep our modern playlists supplied with sufficiently high-standard material?
The Dahmers create an infectiously groovy sound for “River City Skyline,” a comedy-meets-horror production in which the Swedes give themselves the starring parts. Hearing this feels like finding the greatest little record in an old vinyl store, taking it home and only then realising it’s stamped “2025.” The past sounds better in retrospect.
MADDER MAX – Two Men Enter
A comic book artist who’d fought their way to the top of their profession could have their career destroyed by just one drawing. They would only need to dare and try to publish, and an image of a character being maimed, wounded or killed in a realistic manner, and their employers would immediately pull the plug. Weren’t nearly all comic books violent? Yes, but not realistic!
Similarly, the first rock bands that ever introduced horror themes and violent imagery into their lyrics and presentation were boycotted by listeners and record labels. These themes were simply not ones that the buyers or those footing the bills wanted to have to consider. But MADDER MAX would love it if this was the only thing that you had on your mind while listening to the band’s music.
That’s because MADDER MAX’s “Two Men Enter” is a hardcore punk song that feels designed to soundtrack a fist fight between teenagers at the skate park. It’s so over-the-top and dramatic that it’s hard to tell how much of it is a joke and what part of it is real. But while your blood is pumping and your fists tighten, you’re able to make any choice you want. The great news is that this is no longer a time when this kind of art can be easily hidden from the eyes of the innocent.
