Sea MonsterIt seems as if Sea Monster and their record label are more inclined to sway the public with gimmicks and an overemphasis on their long yet unstoried past. Everywhere I look for information on this band from their press kit to their website, it seems the only commentary deemed important enough about this long-running (formed in 1986) band is some random GG-Allin wannabe moments such as an interaction between a fan and a pig's head at one of their shows and a drink-throwing incident on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show. Wow! How badass they must be! They threw a drink at someone on a white-trash daytime TV show. That's like some trailer trash hick bragging about throwing a punch on The Jerry Springer show.
As for the band's accomplishments…you figure after 23 years, they'd have some moments to really reflect upon. That is, of course, aside from the aforementioned career highlights. So are we talking Grammy's? Platinum records? Sharing the stage with legends? No, they don't have any of that aside from playing a show with Iggy Pop who I would consider a legend. They also name-drop playing with The Butthole Surfers and White Zombie. Two excellent and well known bands, but hardly legendary. After a whopping 23 years this band has managed to accomplish very little. Even there musical output is anemic. Only 4 albums with a scattering of 7" vinyl here-and-there over that long period of time. Well good music takes time to perfect and finely tune. You can't blame them for taking their time to create a masterpiece.
Well, masterpiece this certainly is not. Sea Monster play a garage rock/rockabilly hybrid that is not original or done even particularly well. The music is sloppy in spots and very basic with cookie-cutter garage rock riffs and a rhythm section that lacks any intensity or punch. The singing is brutal and less consistent than a hobo with no teeth trying to 'sing' around the trashcan fire to stave off boredom. Garage rock and rockabilly has been done so many times by so many different artists that it takes a fresh new band or at least a finely-tuned and tight outfit that can write a good tune to stay relevant and Sea Monster has neither…not even after 23 years!
Rating: 1/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: "Sleeping Beauty" & "Living Inside The Head Of A Monster"
Synopsis: Basically a bunch of guys that never learned to play their instruments formed a bar band and never gave it up, all the while, never trying to improve themselves (at least I hope they weren't any worse than this in the past). Throw in a couple semi-memorable incidents, a shared gig with 2 or 3 good bands and a positive endorsement from a porn magazine and it seems like this band thinks they're shit-cool. I much rather have the music stand up and demand attention than having to put some pictures of naked skanks all over my album covers and myspace pages.