As a serious entry into the new wave of thrash metal, TUCK FROM HELL’s debut album THRASHING is a head-scratcher. As a comedy album, however…
While the music itself is competent, the vocals are sheer parody. Picture a cute little James Hetfield in about seventh grade, belting out the “yeah yeaaaaaah!’s” as he talks about “sipping on Gin & Juice” and “drinking a beer with Beelzebub,” on the album opener “Barbeque Beast.” Next, the band asks that you “Ride the Lightning… INTO THE PIT!” on “Death Before to Disco” before cranking into “Tuckerz,” which appears to be a love-letter to their (alleged) legion of fans who are said to call themselves ‘tuckers.’ Yes, KISS has the KISS ARMY, SLIPKNOT has the MAGGOTS, ICP has the JUGGALOS, and now TUCK FROM HELL brings you the TUCKERS.
“Itallion Stallion” has a killer riff that hits around the 50-second mark, but what the hell does “flame on into a shower” mean? Vocalist Niklas “Tuck” Ingels continues his Baby Hetfield shtick through “I’m Rollin” (sadly not an homage to LIMP BIZKIT) and into “I, Hellbilly,” which may or may not be a tip of the hat to a certain Mr. ROB ZOMBIE. “King of Thrash” and “Headbanger” are more genre-fellating nonsense about Saturday Nights, Booze, and Fighting.
See those grins? They can’t be serious…
If TUCK FROM HELL have set out to be the STEEL PANTHER of thrash metal, they’re off to a decent start, right down to the cover art that recalls dozens of bands left in the cut-out bin after the first wave of thrashers in the ’80’s. As a serious effort, these Swedish metallers have failed miserably.
COMEDY RECORD? 3/5 | SERIOUS RECORD? 1.5/5
