Forgotten Album of the Month: Infectious Grooves

Forgotten Album of the Month: Infectious Grooves

Infectious Grooves will always be known as the kid brother of Suicidal Tendencies but that’s not the way it should be. Infectious should be looked upon as their own separate entity and with the release of 1994’s landmark Groove Family Cyco, this will be entered as the first piece of evidence.

The major thing to talk about when mentioning Groove Family Cyco is the rhythm section: Robert Trujillo, also pulling double duty in Suicidal and a teenage Brooks Wackerman, years before he joined Bad Religion. At the time of recording, he was about 16 or 17; once hearing the record, it’s impossible to think that Trujillo had played with any other drummer, the two are in the pocket the whole time and never let up.

From the very beginning, with “Violent & Funky,” inexplicably edited when the rest of the record isn’t, the band is at the top of their power and also picking up the weaknesses from the previous albums and strengthens them. Gone from the past are the interludes and the character of Sarsippius, which all work to the album’s absolute strength.

All over the album, guitarists Dean Pleasants and Adam Siegel play their asses off and Mike Muir’s vocals are the strongest for possibly the last time as his voice has aged as much as he has in recent years. While at some points, particularly on “Die Lika Pig” and “Boom Boom Boom,” the band is treading on Suicidal territory, lyrically but all over the music is just ready to blow your fucking mind and snap your neck at the next minute. The writing is brutal and all true. The best example is by far the stand-out, “Do What I Tell Ya!” which is a pointed ‘fuck you’ to the hypocrisy of Rage Against the Machine, including lyrics like “Let’s not forget the evil corporations, so why is Sony the sponsor of your presentation? Bitch!”

All in all, this is one of the hardest, loudest, funkiest releases of the ‘90s, the fact that critics weren’t as kind to it as the previous records just shows that all critics don’t know good music when they first hear it. But as the years roll on, the record continues to get more and more attention, all of which it rightfully deserves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-0yatN1gc (Violent & Funky)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRAS2yOoras (Cousin Randy)

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