It opens with a Ventures style, twangy instrumental “ Surfer’s Graveyard.” which sets the spooky tone of the CD. it features ’50s science fiction radio drama inspired dialogue and a twangy sound reminiscent of “Shadowy Men From A Shadowy Planet as well as the instrumental surf rock of the ’60s. They crash into “ Underwater“ after that, adding a few watery sound effects
It is a Cd full of ’60sish instrumentals and jagged, straight ahead quirky, surf punk that is as much fun a a concept album about killer robots can be. Their songs are interspersed with ’50s style science fiction radio drama dialogue.
They have some catchy quasi-instrumentals like “ Evolution is Slow,” and the CD ending “ Ghost Tree which are reminiscent of Shadowy Men From a A Shadowy planet.
While there is nothing quite as twistedly brilliant as “Shark Attack”, there are some inspirational moments like “Party on the Moon” and the title track, which though it is about robots, seems eerily relevant today.
The title track “ Robot Invaders From the Death Galaxy” reminds me of a lost track from original L.A. punks the Angry Samoans.
The adenoidal vocals on other tracks like “ Unknown World” and “ Webbed Feet” are reminiscent of Jello Biafra and the Dead Kennedys.
At a spare 29 minute long the10 tracks on the CD will take you on an escapist journey into your favourite pulp fiction science fiction novel. Last year a Vancouver band called the Binz released a similarly themed album about killer robots. So here’s hoping killer robots will usurp vampires and zombies as the pop culture flavour of the day. Though the Thrashers have a catchy number called “Zombie Twist” that wouldn’t be out of place alongside “Monster Mash” or songs from the Rocky Horror Show.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
CD: Robot Invaders from the Death GalaxyBand: The Thrashers
Genre: surf-punk