Stuff This in Yer Stocking!

Merry Flippin’ Christmas

Lazaras, Red Soda & Skurvy the Clown

GhoulTone 2011

By Boris Karpartz

Just in time for the holidays, this CD, “Merry Flippin’ Christmas” is the perfect soundtrack for those with more humbug than ho, ho, ho on their minds. Three bands try their hands at their own unique reading of holiday cheer, and each has its own standout moment to make this worth your while.

Horror punks Lazaras carry the bulk of the tunes with a ‘silent night of the living dead’ theme. With six songs on the disc, Lazaras does the the heavy lifting on this one. Their takes on traditional holiday tunes are fun, “Deck the halls,” “Up on the house Top,” and “Jolly old St Nicholas,” but their strongest songs are the one they penned themselves.  “Zombie Christmas” where human brains replace the roast beast as the preferred holiday meal and the one which should be an instant seasonal classic, “I’d Rather be Alone Than Spend Christmas with You.” Slower than most of the bands other breakneck speed offerings, the title sums up its theme better than most other songs.

Red Soda has two tracks on the disc. “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Silent Night.” Drummer Jon Archibald outdoes himself and delivers one of the most memorable vocal renditions ever on “Silent Night.” He channels his inner Johnny Rotten for this full tilt overblown blast of aggression. This should be played on repeat until your more annoying relatives depart the premises or take out their hearing aids.

Skurvy the Clown technically have three songs on here, but staying true to their minimalist ways, condense it easily in one track. “Misletoe Belt Buckle” has the band returning to form with a swinging jazz holiday number sure to get toes tapping and make your more conservative friends blush.  The other two songs, “First Day of Christmas” and “Christmas Sucks,” are brief, to the point and would make great ringtones.

Chuck, who plays bass for Red Soda and guitar for both Lazaras and Skurvy the Clown, is the unifying common denominator on this release. But each band has its own unique personality.  Red Soda with overblown guitars and grunge stylings, plays the kinds music J. Mascis wishes he could pull off. Skurvy the Clown adheres to a strict minimalist punk ethos, unless there’s a joke to be mined elsewhere. Horror act Lazaras plays punk, but straddle the line, with heavy metal guitars as needed, and a focus on all things gory.

Like sex or Chinese food, when you get to the end of this disc, you’ll want more. You might need to wait ten minutes or an hour, depending on what you just had; but whatever you just enjoyed, soon it won’t be enough. It’s the holidays, feel free to overindulge.  This is a stocking stuffer worth stuffing in someone stocking.

www.merryflippinchristmas.com