On the surface, there’s a lot to hate about Shitfucker. The hacky, try hard Vice interview that introduced them to the world didn’t do them any favors. Neither did their stylized swastika logo, nor the fact that their moniker is reminiscent of the nickname I gave to my third grade bus driver. Combine these elements with the comically lo-fi crap-stomp of lead single “Sex Dungeon,” and this band was easy to hate: A group of low-talent, low-class scum-fucks looking to capitalize on a strange metallic affinity for sleaze that rarely reconciles with the listener’s world view. Red flags were everywhere. I mean, how could an album called Suck Cocks In Hell be construed as anything other than cheap gimmickry?
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And then, you listen to “Sex Dungeon” one more time. And another. And another. And then, a revelation: It’s a pretty damn good song.
Once that realization creeps in, all the negative traits listed above slowly morph from the hackneyed to the hilarious, and Shitfucker becomes a kind of Steel Panther for crust punks. Tracks like “Demonic Rock” and “Graveyard Revels” take on a hyper-campy, gutter-thrashed Venom vibe, and a song like “Rock N’ Roll Freaky Dude”–something that probably shouldn’t have made it out of the rehearsal room–becomes undeniably charming.
Suck Cocks In Hell is really held together by drummer Styx Chizzler, whose cock-rock enthusiasm lifts these dog-tired riff-hacks out of the grave dirt and onto the dance floor. But beyond the bombastic beats and infectious choruses that pepper this thing, Shitfucker should be commended for expertly (accidentally?) walking a creative tightrope. Going lowbrow is a risky proposition. Lean a little to far in one direction, and you end up with z-grade dreck. Tip the scales toward with a wink here and a nudge there, and you’ve got a camp classic on your hands.
So: Take those hands, cup the balls, grasp the shaft, and get down with some hellacious fellatio, ’cause against all odds, this is a slumride worth taking.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Label: Hells Headbangers
Websites: Bandcamp/Shitfucker
Release Dates: Out worldwide on 10.31.2013
