Slik Helvetika
Slik Helvetika
Screaming MiMi Records, May 2005
Offensive Words: about 8
Genre: old school pure metal
Check out White Cross or Bloodgood.
Philadelphia metal. Mikhall Myers' newest project since the
Destroyer era featuring musicianship of Steve Salter on drums formerly
of Sic Vikki, Additional guitars by Ernie Carletti formerly of
Naughty/Naughty and Carlettis way, and former Destroyer bassist Tom Zong
rounding out the quartet of bruisers.
Right from the beginning of seeing this album cover and liner, the album
screams cliché with everything metal. The album even has pictures
of guitars, fire, skulls and dragons.
Music
All the sounds of the wailing guitars, the pounding bass lines and
hard crashing cymbals...it is all there. I'm not saying that as a
negative thing at all, I am saying that because this is 110% old 
school
80's metal. This could have easily been put out in 1984 and if it was I
think it would have done well. The intro starts with an explosion and
sounds of a tractor, drill and shrieks from what sounds like a parrot
haha. It immediately jumps in to "War Machine" full of screeching
and distortion and a good start for the metal mayhem. Raise up your
horns and bang the head cause it doesn't slow down with the next track,
"Scream." "High on You" slows the pace down with a
solid track full of great guitar cuts. The problem is the bass line and
rhythm seems the same in the songs. "Skies" has a slightly
newer feel to it but again the bass line and rhythm seems to be
following an identical pattern. The song reminded me of an Alice Cooper
type track. An amazing acoustic guitar solo comes as a short intro for
"September." The song continues as a great power ballad
reminding me of Skid Row. "Silhouette" hardens up the metal
form and goes into a more deeper and dark state.
Vocals/Lyrics
Again, the voice of Mikhall Myers is the classic cliché of
metal. Full of high pitched falsetto and a wide vocal range. He
has a very solid voice but if you aren't into the old school style then
you may get tired of it. On several songs, Myers goes way over the
top with falsetto, almost to the point of mocking metal of this style.
The lyrics are just as over the top as much of the vocal style. Songs
like "War Machine" leave the listener wondering who the band
is referring to talking about someone waiting to give their will to you
and waiting for songs of praise but in the end we all die and have our
brains sucked out. "Swine" also has some interesting remarks
about basically knocking someone out who is trying to talk with the
singer and comments about nailing his hands and being crucified and then
referring to this person as a swine. "Skies" has sexual
overtone with remarks referring to she's making his life a porno
movie. Songs like "September" talk of loving even though
sometimes we are given pain. "She Kills" is a very sexually
explicit song about having sex until death and then continuing to have
sex with a dead corpse. Overall, the lyrics are songs of life and some
are positive about not letting people knock you down but standing up to
those in control. Again, a bit of a rebel cliché in some interesting
lyrical content.
Overall, this album is such pure old school metal that it is very cliché. From the cover holding up the guitar, to the overdone amount of wailing guitars to the extreme falsetto vocals to the raise your fist rock anthems, if you are an old school rocker then you would love this. Due to over the top lyrics and some references that seemed to make me uneasy as a Christian listener, I will definitely pass on the album.