I’ve been a fan of King Parrot for a while now, ever since hearing their first album and then shortly afterward being converted by the madness that is their live show at the inaugural Housecore Horror Film Festival. That first album, Bite Your Head Off, is a mix of thrash metal and grindcore that is as abrasive and in your face as one would expect a band coming from the land absurdly deadly animals would be. Their follow up, Dead Set, brought a bit more of the thrash influence to the forefront while still maintaining the grind elements, albeit in a more reserved fashion. Ugly Produce is strikes a balance between the last 2 albums, bringing the grindcore elements in more often and letting them drive the songs and the album is better for it.
Songs like “All Hail The Grub” and “Piss Wreck” really enforce the grind heritage that King Parrot has by exhibiting frantic bursts of aggression in sub two minute songs that aren’t just derivative bits of blast beats and brutal vocals (both of which are present in high volume so don’t worry about that). Conversely you have thrash elements rearing their hyrdratic heads in songs like “Disgrace Yourself” that deal in riffs so thick you’ll be resisting the urge to destroy your living room with reckless abandon. The majority of the songs walk a fine line between thrash and grind though, the lead single “Ten Pounds of Shit in a Five Pound Bag” being a perfect example of that blending. The thrash elements ensure that the song stays on course while the grind promises that you’re never safe as safe as you think you are from a outburst of violent percussion or, in the case of the video below, head mounted dildos.
Ugly Produce is fairly short, clocking in at a lean twenty five minutes, but I don’t think that detracts from anything King Parrot are trying to achieve with this release. Instead, I see it as shedding the fat and chaff, the band knowing what they do best and choosing on and grow those elements. The songwriting is some of the best the band has shown over the course of three albums, which is exactly where you want to be at this point. If you were a fan of their past albums, I can’t see complaints about the material on Ugly Produce, except that it will leave you wanting just a few more songs. If you’ve never listened to King Parrot before, then this is the perfect jumping off point.
King Parrot will be touring the USA this fall in support of label mates Superjoint and Childbite. Don’t be an idiot and get out to one of these shows. I can guarantee a high energy escapade and Matt’s ass will very likely be on display so there’s a little something for the ladies?
9/23/2017 Come & Take It Live – Austin, TX
9/24/2017 Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX
9/25/2017 Rialto Theater – Tucson, AZ
9/27/2017 The Whisky – Los Angeles, CA
9/28/2017 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
9/29/2017 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
9/30/2017 Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA
10/01/2017 Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
10/04/2017 Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
10/06/2017 Q & Z Expo Center – Ringle, WI
10/07/2017 Diesel – Chesterfield, MI
10/08/2017 Vogue – Indianapolis, IN
10/09/2017 The Forge – Joliet, IL
10/11/2017 Gramercy Theater – New York, NY
10/12/2017 Agora Theater – Cleveland, OH
10/13/2017 Reverb – Reading, PA
10/14/2017 Palladium – Worcester, MA @ Rock N Shock
-Scott (@scottfloronic)