• Duke Nukem "Self Titled" LP

SPHC RECORDS

After a demo tape that caught my attention, Duke Nukem drop their debut LP on a consortium of European labels (and I chipped in too because it's a great record and I'd like to see Russian bands get some more exposure in the USA).

Duke Nukem play metalpunk: Motorhead provides the basic foundation, and that's built upon with a punk sense of velocity and attitude and a metal sense of wild guitar solos and epic riffing. Inepsy is an obvious comparison point, but this is way more unrestrained and the riffs show a heavier NWOBHM influence. Poison Arts, but more brutal and less pop-y.

For my ears, this is one of the best releases of this style in the last few years. The songs have a badass swagger, the solos are wild, the riffs are epic, the vocals brutal but catchy. Can't ask for more, it's picture-perfect.