Wait… didn’t I just get done talking about Nuclear Dudes? I did. Barely two months after the release of their Truth Paste project, a collab between project lord Jon Weisnewski and vocalist Brandon Nakamura, we’re seeing the release of Skeletal Blasphemy on November 14, another herald of sonic apocalypse and shift for Nuclear Dudes as this time Weisnewski teams up with fabled drummer Coady Willis of Big Business, Melvins, High on Fire, and The Murder City Devils fame. What a fucking resume.
This new album comes courtesy of our pals at The Ghost Is Clear Records who have hooked up the release with vinyl for the first time in Nuclear Dudes‘ ADHD’ed history I believe, and thanks to them, y’all get to hear the second single from it right now called “Tastes Like Medicine”. Y’all will love this one.
About the track, Weisnewski divulges:
‘This song was based on a drum part Coady wrote. It’s a little off time and a lot frantic and reminded me of John Wright’s drumming, so I did my best to channel some Nomeansno, which, yeah, super easy to play like Nomeansno. That’s a smart, easy thing to do. Good job, me, you fucking dingus. The next most smart thing would be to draw attention to that forlorn effort. Really crushing it out here. Anyway, despite all that, I do think it came together nicely and I can listen to it without my face getting hot.’
“Tastes Like Medicine” is a ripping good time. It’s a freefall plummet between complementary vortices of fast, grinding helldeath and a soaring, melodic hook, the likes that Weisnewski is so damn good at putting together for Sandrider. Willis’ drumming is indeed off time during the chaotic moments and reels in to pound a sense of lighter, punk-inspired, energetic fun into us along with Weisnewski’s cleanly sung yelled chorus. It sits in the middle of Skeletal Blasphemy (which I may or may not have heard in full already) offering a bit of a reprieve from the flanking cybergrind atomization I’ve come to love from this project over the years.
“Tastes Like Medicine” sounds like a high-octane, sunny adventure that doesn’t particularly play to the typical Nuclear Dudes type, but if there’s anything the project’s done over the last two years successfully, it’s stretch the leggies out and tap into other sounds like it was a spider playing Twister and beating everyone’s four-limbed asses. Hell yeah. Skeletal Blasphemy comes out November 14 via The Ghost Is Clear Records – you can buy vinyl from their site and support the band digitally via TGIC‘s Bandcamp and Nuclear Dudes‘ own Bandcamp. Follow the project’s ever-evolving antics on Instagram!
