Slugmilk Salt Room Hardcore XXX cassette
Well, there’s one tape in every batch that confuses me, and this one has me completely baffled. Despite the “XXX” in the album title, SLUGMILK from St. John, New Brunswick does not have anything at all to do with straightedge. No, that’s actually the Roman numeral for 30, because this is the band’s thirtieth full-length release since they formed in 2010. Yes, you read that right. These aren’t short releases either, with 23 tracks on this specific tape. You know what else they aren’t? A hardcore band, making this the most confusing album title that I can possibly imagine. I could see maybe calling them a punk band, but to me, it essentially sounds like an aggressive rock band with an edgy, quirky, bar-rock vocalist. Wait, make that two edgy, quirky, bar-rock vocalists, as two of their seven members are credited solely with vox. Seven people seems like a lot when you only hear drums, guitar, bass, and vocals. Looking at the insert, I have the answer, but I am no less confused. Four people are credited with playing guitar, and three of them are also credited with playing bass. Finally, a band that gets to third bass. Did I mention that this is their thirtieth full-length? If you happen to be looking for punk-adjacent music that doesn’t take itself too seriously yet is serious enough to crank out release after release, you’re in luck, because I have uncovered quite the rabbit hole for you to dive into.