Nuclear Dudes - Boss Blades

Angry Metal Guy

Where to start with Nuclear Dudes? The brainchild of Jon Weisnewski—of Sandrider—the project spans a collection of kooky and noisy genres from powerviolence to synthwave. Even the artist Bandcamp page refers to it tongue-in-cheekily as ‘”music”‘ (scare quotes included). Each release—of which Boss Blades is the third in about a year—features a charming fluorescent figure scrawled upon a white background, courtesy of a Cooper Weisnewski I presume is Jon’s brother. This kind of consistency in self-branding certainly makes them stand out, and it’s fun. Fun too are the nonsensical album and song titles. Previous records Bad at Sleep and Gin and Panic, and Boss Blades all include a roster of silly track names, in addition to their already fairly droll monikers. But the important question is whether or not the music is fun. So, is it?

The answer is, yes, Boss Blades is quite a lot of fun. Weisnewski swaps manic, dizzying grind- and math-core for stoner metal and ambient synthwave, and back, frequently blurring the lines. Harsh, grating electronica exacerbates feelings of panic and rage at grindier moments (title track, “Shark Grinder,” “Lasers in the Jungle”); synthesized distortion accentuates glittery guitar solos (“Dads Eat Heels”); and smooth pulses of synth heighten the ambience of moodier cuts (“Many Knives,” “Year 3”). Many songs barely push past two minutes, though some extend to almost ten. Pretty much all flip easily between genres no matter their duration. This flexibility and flux prevent any crazy heaviness from grating and keeps you engaged as you listen with slightly amused attention, waiting to see what will happen next. Not that Boss Blades is inaccessibly unpredictable either. As mad as it seems at face value, modest electronic themes are present throughout, and many cuts preserve a sense of true evolution no matter their brevity. The shining example is the central epic and album highlight “Many Knives,” which, led by guest vocalist Irene Barber, builds through slow atmospheric synthwave to a sludgy, electronic apex. Its moodiness and introspection cleave a dramatic wedge between itself and the preceding hardcore beatdown “Poorly Made Pots,” yet in subtle melodic flourishes, there’s a noticeable through line.

Boss Blades by NUCLEAR DUDES

It’s the brilliant balance of silly and serious that makes Boss Blades a winner. Distorted samples studded across the record add wry mockery (the Robocop snippet at the end of “Lasers in the Jungle”); unnerving weirdness (the auto-tuned b-movie horror snippet at the start of “Obsolete Food,” and the clipped and looped one beginning “Dads Eat Heels”); or dry humour (“Shark Grinder,” “Eat Meth”). They’re not always ridiculous, though. “Guitart” sees acoustic plucking accompany Grace Jones speaking on gender and sexuality, in terms that wouldn’t become mainstream for nearly forty years. Likewise, the aforementioned Robocop bit adds levity to “Lasers…”‘ jab at Paul Simon for his gaslighting of Carrie Fisher in “Graceland.” As such, the samples feel like a natural expression of the album’s sense of humor, not shoe-horned-in puerility. The first of the album’s faces we see is its most violent and least serious, with the title track, “Manifest Piss Tape,” and “Shark Grinder” forming a back-to-back powerviolence assault to drag us into Nuclear Dudes’ mad world. From then on, we are given breathing space. The ample synth and acoustic flow of “Many Knives” and “Guitart,” and the brooding “Year 3” and “A Special Torture” showcase a calm evenness in stark contrast to the surrounding mania. And these latter two—particularly the last—are no less strange for their reserve.

Boss Blades feels honest and real, which is refreshing from something that appears entirely in jest. The fact that “Many Knives” is a nine-minute song that feels half that; and that Weisnewski managed to rope in Botch’s Dave Verellen (title track, “Lasers…”), and he sounds brilliant, is pretty damn cool. However, in its honesty, it makes a few missteps. Namely the ambient “Year 3” that doesn’t really go anywhere that would justify its length, and the too-slow growing “A Special Torture”. Cut a minute or so off each, or add in some of the spice sprinkled elsewhere, and they’d be great. These don’t stand in the way of someone enjoying the album, they’re just a little disappointing. Maybe they’re simply too strong a contrast from the more thrilling moments.

Nuclear Dudes pleasantly surprised me. I expected an unhinged but ultimately hollow slab of heaviness. Instead, Boss Blades proved to be clever, likeable, and incredibly entertaining. Disarmingly accessible and charming in its oddities, I’ll be looking out for Nuclear Dudes’ future work with not inconsiderable eagerness.

Rating: Very Good
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Modern Grievance
Website: nucleardudes.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/moderngrievance
Releases worldwide: July 7th 2023

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