Even after several spins I'm not even entirely sure what this is or why I like it so much. I feel a bit over my head talking about Revolver Duck considering this lays the sludge influence down super thick and my only real point of reference for that is Melvins since I never really bothered exploring the genre much further than that beyond a few scattered classic tracks here and there. With that little knowledge of one of the bigger influences on Upside of Sick, I really shouldn't even be talking about something I clearly don't understand, and that's been my philosophy for a long time.
However, my philosophy is also "I know good/bad music when I hear it", and Tommy Goose very confidently falls on the "good" side of that equation. In fact I'd go so far as to say that they've been one of the few truly excellent bands to pop up in my inbox all year. The sludge metal here may be a major influence and that puts it pretty firmly outside of my wheelhouse, but the band really let the punk side of the sludge mixture shine, and the occasional blasts of grinding intensity make Upside of Sick something I can comprehend just enough to headbang myself into a coma.
This is a very short release, clocking in at just under 25 minutes, but it crams a whole shitload of riffs and hooks into that short time. The opener, "Roidhead Swindler", pretty much showcases everything the band has to offer. It crashes through the gate with some brutally doompaced sludge riffs, absolutely drowning in overwhelming distortion, before giving way to some raucous, filthy Discharge-styled hardcore, and from there in peppers in quasi-random blasts and squealing dissonance, all underneath heavily distorted screams and bellowing growls. It sounds like I'm describing pretty much any extreme metal band, but trust me when I say that the punk attitude of the whole thing keeps it consistently vicious, regardless of whether they're going for the throat with hyperspeed noise attacks or hurling boulders at you with a more deliberate pace. There's an inherent danger to Upside of Sick that acts as the intangible that keeps this from falling out of regular rotation while I slog through the other dozen mediocre albums I don't care to write about.
I can't say too much about this considering it's succinctness, but Gun Bird came with a point to make and they're more than happy to make it and carry on quickly, leaving you a twisted, smouldering crater in their wake. They're explosive and mean and that's all I really ask for out of a band this stupidly simple. There aren't any flashy tricks because there doesn't need to be. They show up, destroy, and leave.
RATING: 84%
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