FRENZAL RHOMB – Forever Malcolm Young (How Much Did I Fucking Pay For This / Shock)
Original release date: October 14th, 2006
Frenzal Rhomb’s seventh album finds the Sydney punk band returning to their roots with 20 tracks that sound closely related to their early Dick Sandwich and Coughing Up A Storm releases (despite the fact that singer Jay Whalley is the only member remaining in the lineup from those days). All the songs are under three minutes long and avoid the slower material that the band has dabbled with in recent times.
The album is characterised by breakneck tempos and abrasive songs that are almost indistinguishable from each other musically, with Jay’s rabid vocals spewed over the top. The general similarity of much of the material isn’t helped by the surprisingly murky mix, but although it all sounds much the same at first, after a few listens individual cuts do begin to stand out. The band’s legions of teenage fans will no doubt latch onto Fuck You And Your Stupid Band and Johnny Ramone Was In A Fucken Good Band But He Was A C**t (Gabba Gabba You Suck) as early favourites (despite the fact that, at under thirty seconds long, the latter is over in almost less time than it takes to type) thanks to their typical profanity, but less explicit tracks such as the initially intricately melodic When Will I See You At The ICU and the Youth Group / AC/DC-baiting title track are possibly more interesting.
The lyrics range from the nonsensical attacks on the caps lock key and predictive text of Caps Lock and Predickle Me This (respectively) to the clever commentary on the Americanisation of Australian English of Holiday Not Vacation, but there are always plenty of the jokes and insults we’ve come to expect.
The thrashy anger-fest of Please Go Over There (featuring Jay’s girl friend Lauren on co-vocals) is the the most ferocious moment on an album that’s full of them, while the Schapelle Corby-referencing You Need A Friend has a surprisingly melodic chorus.
However, the album lacks the instant hooks that were found on Meet The Family and A Man’s Not A Camel, and its unrelenting nature will likely terrify anyone who remembers the band solely from their commercial peak with the single You Are Not My Friend. Regardless, it has naturally been embraced by long-term fans, who will also get the most out of the bonus DVD featuring lowbrow backstage hi jinx and dodgy-sounding footage from various live shows.
Owen Heitmann