Album number four from the sex bombs from down under and its more punk rockin – more filthy – more depraved – more coloured vinyl than ever before kids, but worry not,  Mick is still sporting the cape and speedos and as the cover artwork can testify he’s even gone for some sussies the dirty boy.  Covid hasn’t interfered with the bands’ depraved modus operandi and best of all vinyl junkies can pick up copies be it in the USA  or The UK and not have to weep at import fees and postage from Australia.

Grindhouse play hard and fast and with a nod and a wink to UK legends The Hip Priests they also write lyrics that’ll make yer nan blush and from behind the cape n speedos Mick ‘Two Fingers’ Simpson has the coin purse to pull off this rapid filthy slabs of Garage punk and by the sounds of it, they’ve spent their lockdown chomping on snags and bbq’s and rockin out hard!  They’ve taken the first three albums put them in a blender poured in some top strength lager and poured out their finest cocktail to date and taken the Grindhouse style & sound to the next level.  when you want your fix of depraved and sweary garage rock n roll and Turbonegro seem like a long distant dinosaur up step the boys from down under.

Hailing from the Gong, Melbourne and Geelong, Grindhouse has been prominent players on the bountiful Australian punk rock and garage scene setting the pace for others to follow and by releasing ‘Sex Punk Power’ its obvious they’ve taken it to the next level and set the bar for others to follow. ‘Sex Punk Power’  is mixed and mastered by the one and only Steven McDonald (Redd Kross, Melvins, OFF!) in Los Angeles and it’s given the band a bigger sound.

The dirty, punk-rock, garage sound is obviously still the mainstay but the overall sheen of the record is glossier.  sure, It still features the catchy filthy lyrics of front-man Mick ‘Two Fingers’ Simpson who knocks out some stunning riffs alongside guitarists Ricky ‘Pony Club’ Audsley and Shannon ‘Candy Cocaine’ Cannon who also provides excellent, female vocals throughout the album.  The lyrics are still the expletive-filled sweary kid from Viz style non-conformist Dwarves to the next level stuff I mean I was playing ‘Phone Sex’ in my headphones whilst walking down a canal path and felt I had to walk faster in case anyone was behind me it was unnerving stuff hearing the dual vocals whispering in my cans about kissing my hips.

Some of the riffs are exactly what’s needed – filthy hot rod stuff – take ‘Drive Straight’ is the pure rocket fuel that is an absolute punk-rock Banger. ‘Hello Hamburg’ is sleazy and like a soundtrack to Germanys Reeperbahn with added paranoia as the riff swirls round and round and on repeated play ever other words seemingly being the F-Bomb is exactly what’s needed – sure it’s not going to win any Pulitzer prize for poetry but fuck it just shake your shit and turn it up.

What you get for your bucks is twelve tracks of pure, heavy, Australian rock’n’roll that’s right up there with the best albums this year and why wouldn’t you love Mick whispering “Have You seen my mother fucking Pony” just before they riff on a bastardised Batman theme ‘Fathers On Bail’ an absolute classic. The chorus will stay in your head like a slow-release earworm.

There is variety as well mind from the vitriol and poisonous riff that is ‘Shit Together’ and the piano tonk of the album’s masterpiece ‘Do It All The Time’ a slow-burning Garage banger that slithers like a Bond theme they’d never have but should.

‘Teenage Heart’ blows off the cobwebs like a Stooges fueled stomper you wish Iggy would play again which makes way for the pure gold of the albums goodbye ‘Holden Goodbye’ with its Malcolm Young inspired slow groover that has those six-string wailing like a stray dog as Simpson sings his heart out on what is, without doubt, their best album yet.  Don’t snooze kids because this will become a modern-day garage punk classic Hot as fuck in many many ways – not afraid to stretch the boundaries of what they’ve done before even if it is marginal it’s the quality on display that wins the day.  Fantastic songs on ‘Sex Punk Power’ that deserve your ears so lend em and get involved.

Buy Here

Facebook

Author: Dom Daley