Lots of shit happened 25 years ago in 1992. The Atari 2600 was discontinued, George Bush Sr. puked in the lap of Japan’s prime minister after eating some fucked up sushi, and I, The Great Southern Brainfart, graduated from Mt. Zion Senior High magna cum loser. 1992 was also a year for some pretty bad to the fucking bone albums. Extreme released their stellar III Sides to Every Story, Iron Maiden released Fear of the Dark, and Black Sabbath reunited with Ronnie James Dio and put out Dehumanizer. There was a lot of great music but one album in particular stood out to me and really made a lasting impression. That album was called Doin’ The Nasty.
Doin’ The Nasty was the debut album from Canadian metal band Slik Toxik. I remember it like it was last night. I was chilling at home like usual and watching Headbanger’s Ball and the video for “Helluvatime” came on. I remember thinking that it kind of reminded me of Skid Row but that there was something really different about this band. It piqued my interest enough to go pick up the cassette (remember those?). I popped it into the tape deck (remember those, also?) in my 1984 Toyota Corolla and from those shitty little Jensen speakers came “Big Fuckin’ Deal.” Right off the bat I knew I was hearing something really fucking great but I couldn’t wait to get home and actually hear it on my good stereo.
In 1992, none of us really had much of a clue that hard rock/metal was on its way out and would suddenly suffer its painful demise (or demotion). Hearing songs like “Helluvatime”, “White Lies/Black Truth”, and “By the Fireside” made me feel that Slik Toxik very well could be a commercial success on the level of a band like Skid Row while songs like, “Sweet Asylum”, “Crashed”, and “Midnight Grind” could appeal to more metal end of the spectrum. In my opinion, their greatest song/show stopper is the song “It’s Not Easy.” This is where it all comes together and has Slik Toxik flexing all their abilities at once in a song that covers, metal, funk, and even a touch of blues. You just have to hear it to get it but if you have heard it, you know what I mean.
Doin’ the Nasty is a solid slab of good ol’ sleazy hard rock/metal with a twist to it. The musicianship of these guys is off the fucking charts and that is what I feel makes this album stand out from the pack. 25 years later, Doin’ the Nasty still sounds amazing and I enjoy this one every bit as much as I did back in 1992. Hell, I even still hate “By the Fireside” so not much has changed at all. The vocals of Nick Walsh, the massive guitar team of Kevin Gale and Rob Bruce, and the monstrous rhythm section of Pat Howarth (bass) and Neal Busby (drums) all together created a blend of very versatile and melodic hard rock/metal music that to this day still blows my mind.
In a time where so many bands from this era are reuniting, I think that to see a full on Slik Toxik reunion would be so much fucking fun. Will it happen? Who knows? Guitarist Kevin Gale is playing in an awesome band called Punishment, drummer Neal Busby is busy making music with his wife, and lead vocalist Nick Walsh is the vocalist for Famous Underground. You have two guys (Kevin and Neal) ready to do this while the other two dudes are kind of MIA. Nick… Hey, Nick! Yeah, you. I’m talking to you. Why are you refusing to do this? I get it, dude. It may feel like digressing or taking a step back but think of it as something that the fans and there are way more of us than you know; or maybe you do. but c’mon man, 3/5 is better than none.
Also, think of it as a way of remembering and honoring your past that got you to where you are today. Life is too short so why not just put all egos aside, crack open a few cold ones, talk about the old days, let the water flow under the bridge, and make it happen one last time. C’mon guys. Get it together. It’s the 25th anniversary of one of the best hard rock/metal albums of the 90’s. Trust me when I say… it would be a “Helluvatime” if you did! Doin’ the Nasty… 25 looks good on ya!
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