Review / 200 Words Or Less
Fleshies
Introducing The Fleshies

Dirt Cult (2019) Loren

Fleshies – Introducing The Fleshies cover artwork
Fleshies – Introducing The Fleshies — Dirt Cult, 2019

Sure, I know of Fleshies but I don’t really know them. I’ve heard the hits over the years, but I’m coming at Introducing The Fleshies from a relatively clean slate. And it’s a rager. It’s got the aggression, a little bit of slop, and lyrics that are both biting and intelligent. It works on both levels: something to shout along to, and something to digest and think about.

While the vitriol hits from the start, the record is fairly diverse. “Hold Me Up” is a bit more melodic with some almost singing involved, “You Playin’” is super fuzzed out with some reverb on the vocals, “Like A Pillow” has shades of ‘80s West Coast hardcore, “Bombs” defies all those expectations with a heavy, plodding vibe, and “Dirtier Harry” flat-out pummels.

Let’s be honest. The majority of punk bands sound “punk.” They don’t sound original and if you aren’t already a fan of the band, you probably couldn’t pick it out of a lineup. Fleshies have their own sound, the way that the vocals simultaneously spit, shout, and through and the chords pummel.
As a whole, it’s angry, and manic but still composed, just hanging on the fringes.

8.0 / 10Loren • November 26, 2019

Fleshies – Introducing The Fleshies cover artwork
Fleshies – Introducing The Fleshies — Dirt Cult, 2019

Related news

SPB exclusive: Introducing the Fleshies

Posted in Records on April 28, 2019

Recently-posted album reviews

Wheezing Maniac

Shade Through The Night Door
Puto Jefe (2023)

Breathe In Breathe Out. Wheezing is often heard as a whistling sound primarily while breathing out but can also be heard when taking deep breaths. It is frequently attributed to the small Bronchial Tubes situated deep within the lungs. However, a maniac can often be seen as a derogatory term used in place of a lunatic, mad person, loony, wing … Read more

Uranium Club

Infants Under The Bulb
Anti Fade Records, Static Shock Records (2024)

Do you take your punk with saxophone? Do you like post-angular guitars and rhythmic, near-spoken vocals? If so, Uranium Club is probably right for you. Apparently they call this egg punk nowadays. I would have called it art-punk. It definitely runs in the left-of-the-dial, DIY punk world, but has that glasses-wearing, proud-of-your-weirdness element that makes it hard to pin down … Read more

The Phase Problem

The Power Of Positive Thinking
Brassneck Records (2024)

I spent a good part of the late ‘90s annoyed at the abundance of Ramonescore. I’ll stand by my word: many of the bands of that era were carbon copies that didn’t bring anything new to the format. But time has passed and what was overdone is now a refreshing change of pace. For whatever reason, when I hear a … Read more