The Swedish post-punk unit released their fourth album, the pseudo-self titled viagr aboys, under the pretence that it would be “a bit [more] simple and stupid” than 2022’s politics and conspiracy driven Cave World, while still keeping the biting satire of their flavour of punk. The record marks their first under their own label Shrimptech Enterprises, following their departure from Year001, and so new freedom that they have seized by the reins.
The lead single, ‘Man Made of Meat’, opens the record perfectly, harsh riffs and wit with punchy drums set the stage for the weirdness to come in the album’s runtime. The low-fi style mixing emphasises their garage-punky, rough around the edges vibe. Perfectly complementing the sound and mixing, Sebastian Murphy’s crude and sardonic lyricism never fails to make a mockery of the wild misfits the world possesses, not excluding himself or the listener. viagr aboys lampoons crypto and health scams in ‘Store Policy’ and ‘Pyramid of Health’ yet also knows how to be gentle, like in the track ‘Medicine for Horses’.
The record is an extension of their previous but is a little larger-than-life; a little more gonzo, where Cave World observed the politics of the modern world, this release is the band’s observation of the chaos in which we live in on a more personal level. Instead of looking at the broader world, they dissect the nitty-gritty details of society, creating a caricature of the internet dweller– the modern human– while still keeping a warm personal side. There’s nothing normal and serious about the current world and politics, so why should they be serious about the music they make?
viagr aboys it's perfectly representative of what the band wants to be seen as: a prime example of what modern punk should be. The album is expressive and a unique album like none other, its humour mixed with excellent songwriting makes it one of my top albums of the year. It's simply just a fun album full of a chaotic whimsy, strange and charming; teeming with personality.
for fans of: Dead Kennedys, Amyl and the Sniffers, Queens of the Stone Age, Butthole Surfers
favourite tracks: Pyramid of Health, Uno II, The Bog Body
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