Acid Drinkers-Striptease

Metal Mind
1992/2009


The year was 1992 and metal was being swept away by grunge in many circles. However Poland's Acid Drinkers didn't seemed phased or concerned about the shift. If anything they seemed more than content to continue on in the direction that they had established with their first two efforts. This album includes a whopping fifteen tracks full of thrash, foolishness and other oddities. Almost everyone gets in on the action this time around as "Titus", "Litza" and "Popcorn" all contribute vocals. Always big on covers, the band contributes two here with an acoustic version of Metallica's Seek & Destroy. It is sung by a polish artist, Edyta Bartosiewicz. The second cover is "Menel Song/Alway's Look on the Bright Side of Life", a remake of a song by Monty Python. Both fit it very well with the band's less than typical approach. Their mix of thrash, punk and off the wall arrangements works wonders in large part to their sense of humor and unrestrained enthusiasm. When I can pin down influences I hear Anthrax, Dead Kennedys, Tankard (minus the beer soaked lyrics) and they even toss in some Guns n' Roses inspired bursts as well. Acid Drinkers were more than just a joke or novelty band though. The music is tightly woven and the flow is spectacular. They were about being off the wall than getting some cheap laugh and that's a large part of their appeal. It also gave their material a fresh feel that still works today 17 years after the fact. My only regret is that I didn't hear this back in 1992. The re-issue includes a lyric and two live bonus tracks.