Every once in a while, there comes a band which is unapologetically unique, weird, yet built upon a strong professional foundation. Queue Mad Spanner - a walking example of just that. The Shrewsbury-based triplet have released their debut record, ‘Life Absurd’ and it’s a testament to pure oddity. Blending comedy, punk, and thrash alongside booze and a fear of chickens and you have the formula for an incredible band, especially live.
Gimmicks and absurdity are often difficult additions to make to an outfit, especially in metal because it can come across cheesy or simply...shit. Mad Spanner avoid this entirely however, as their musicianship and ability to make catchy, thrash-ridden grooves amongst chaotic punk passages pair gorgeously with their nutty sense of humour. Listening to the record, you’ll find yourself bopping along to the short, sweet, and unapologetically mad “I Was Caught Shitting In A Plastic Bag”, which needs no explanation of the concept of the track.
They do explore some serious topics though, such as the rise in zombified humans thanks to the catchy “Get Off Your Bastard Phone (You Anti Social Dickhead)”, and the plague of the “Duck-Faced Selfie”. The frantic thrashing riffs between joking about using your phone in the local add to the hilarity before leading to a crushing breakdown which explains why they’re such a treat live.
The simply named “Anal Sex” also highlights the amazing absurdity Mad Spanner possess, as it opens with a soothingly misleading intro before exploding into chaos. With ‘Life Absurd’, the last thing to expect is a calm, laughless ride. “Avocado Piano” and “Avocado Commando” - absolute howlers about a man with elephantitis with his ‘mighty fruity treasures’ - will have you in stitches especially.
With such a concentration on hilarity and thrash, it’s impossible to overlook just how clever this trio are. The outstanding Seagulls Haunt Me In My Sleep shows Michael Randall’s writing abilities excellently. Mad Spanner are one to watch. It’s hard to make metal funny and the funnies metal, yet they pull it off with a special type of messy finesse. If you haven’t already, catch them live - they’ll simultaneously make less and more sense.
8.5 RIFFS
-Jordan McEvoy