It's now time for our 200th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and I wanted to briefly thank everyone for following along this long for us to get to that milestone number after over 16 years of reviewing one local metal, hard rock, or punk album every month! As our extensive backlog of new album releases continues being rifled through, review #200 is of local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage's 71st album "WYRD Radio 3: The Midnight Horror Show"! Independently released to their Bandcamp page around August 10th of last year but given a September 1st release date by the band, this was the only album of 2025 for this prolific veteran group, and their third concept album based around programming on the fictional WYRD radio station. As always, this album was recorded in their usual improvised nature at River Front Recreation Studios.
"The original crash band" are represented by singer/drummer Paul Becker, his brother Dirk on guitar and vocals, guitarist Shane Kokis, and bassist Tony Briglio, with former bassist/Paul's son-in-law Brian Cattapan guesting on one track. "WYRD Radio 3" is on sale on Bandcamp for $15, and while you can stream the whole album for free there, consider buying it to support Sykotyk Rampage's work! With 30 tracks (a double album if released on CD) running for over 2 hours and 22 minutes, let's begin this lengthy review!
While I have yet to review the first "WYRD Radio" album from 2015, I did review the sequel "Kype The Jesus Boots" in 2022, and the concept nature carries over via the loose format of this being alleged on-air programming for the station, featuring Tony and synthesized robot voices recording bumpers and DJ segments. While "WYRD Radio 2" ended with a teaser that next week's show would be about alien abductions, the third album of the series is not the realization of that claim. Here, your "DJ" is named Zara, and the album opens with the spoken word track "WYRD Witch A1", which is set up as if we're in for 2 hours of progressive jazz from a band named Bebop Devoe, but before the first song can play, the station is hijacked by some kind of supernatural beings led by an "orange demon" (also a speech synthesis voice), who takes over the station and plans to devour our souls!
The demon substitutes the jazz for his own evil music (re: new Sykotyk Rampage originals), and the first one is "Succubus", which is 9 minutes long, and that's not even the longest song here! A slow, bass-led jam track with Paul on vocals (plus the ominous female voices threatening to kill us that first popped up in the opener), this is well played but it meanders for way too long on the same trajectory without a major change in tempo or structure, and I'd have chopped this one at least in half before compiling the album. The second proper song is "What You Gave Away", a much shorter but still almost 6 minutes-long track that is a little more lively while still having a sludgy jam essence. Not a bad showcase for Dirk & Shane on guitar, and it drives along well, but if you like their more freewheeling crash rock stylings, the album doesn't start off in such an upbeat way.
Fourth up is "Warlock", running for an album-long 9:11, and this is very reminiscent structurally to "Succubus", but it is at least more animated for Paul's vocals, and it does build in intensity with shouted vocals at the midpoint, though they do come off a little over-processed. Tony's steady bass work keeps things driving along, and there is more of an animated vibrancy to the riffs and pacing, including a late guitar solo, if layered under vocals. Definitely an improvement from "Succubus" for this album's two 9+ minute songs, but this again could have been heavily edited down. We take a brief pause from the music for to return to WYRD Radio via "WYRD Weather A2", where we get a weather report, and if you remember that an orange demon is enslaving the planet and killing us all, you can imagine that it'll be hot out! Tony appeared to voice the meteorologist for this segment.
Apparently, Sykotyk Rampage are partially known in this album's story as "Frankie Flesheater & The Burning Cowpat", who are the orange demon's favourite band, so now you know! The next "hardcore ditty" is named "Krazy Dragon Krossing", which is a fuller composition and nowhere near as long or drawn out as the previous, but it feels too tinny and processed, like they caked it in effects in post. The original raw recording would have been preferable, but it's a good mid-tempo rocker that is ticking things a little closer to how I like my Rampage! The dragon phase of the album continues with "Dragons At Wing", a more laid back rocker that has a bit of a funk essence to it, and it does pick up a bit in tempo and energy in the back half, with the closing bridge giving me "Called In Dead" vibes. It's good to see some more of the freewheeling Sykotyk Rampage late, and Paul's drumming works well, so it's an early highlight on the album!
The final dragon-themed song is "Castle Of The Dragon's Teeth", and despite is relatively short length compared to the proper songs before it, this is another measured rocker that doesn't get too wild and raucous. The processing and filtering is taken way too much of here, as I can barely hear Paul's singing and the song just has a fuzz to it that really impairs everything except the bass. Definitely a low point for the songs so far, as it just plods along in a haze. We pause for a commercial break next via "WYRD Cobra A3", which runs for an album-low 98 seconds. This has "The Crimson Nipple" (a British TTS voice) endorsing the Iron Cobra, the ideal vehicle to drive in Hell, and it's laid over a brief Sykotyk Rampage song that is otherwise not on the album without the copy. It's sad, because the "Iron Cobra" song was really promising and heavy, and I'd have recorded an extended & clean version here!
Full music returns with "Arc Of Darkness", which has an extended feedback-heavy intro including some hard-to-decipher female vocals (which resurface at the midpoint), but when the song fully gets going, it again suffers from having the recording being layered in effects or filters, as I can't make out Paul well again. The song is clearer and more defined though, with Dirk and Shane's guitar soming through in sections, but it kinda comes and goes in clarity like a radio station reception. The raw performance would be ideal, but even then, it wasn't at the rollicking levels I best like from them. Afterwards is "Harpies Bring Your Death", which doesn't really reinvent the wheel from the songs heard so far. Better and much cleaner post-production, and Paul's vocals are much more distinct, so it is a better song than we've recently had, but it does nothing I haven't heard before on the album.
On "Lich Queen's Sextoy" (they titled it, not me!), this has more of a trancey, psychedelic vibe while still being unquestionably sykotyk. Paul is on vocals here, but we again have the layered filtering taken to the nth degree here, as this song may as well be an instrumental with how quiet he is! The song is at least a change of pace that lets the guys show off some more diverse influences, so it works on that basis (the last 45 seconds is raw banter after the guys recorded this song in studio). Next is "Wicked This Way Comes", which has spacey beeping and hard-to-decipher spoken word (is that Shane?) laid in with a spare, deliberate composition. Paul does sing on this track late, but again, it's muddy background vocals that I can barely hear, and I don't know why they're leaning on that so much. Some creative aspects to this track add some zest, but this isn't a driving rocker like what works well for the guys, at least for me.
Next is another station break via "WYRD Traffic A4", as "Professor OCD" (another synthesized British voice) is delivering the traffic report, and given that demons and zombies are wreaking havoc across the planet, you might want to stay at home! The second half of "WYRD Radio 3" begins with "Rich Demon", and this is a down-and-dirty blues rocker that thankfully lets us actually hear Paul's singing. Tony shines on bass here, and I appreciate the more direct lyrics, but it's not the carefree punk-influenced rocker like I best enjoy from the masters of the crash. "Young Power Of Yung" follows with a scratchy funk rock guitar line that is a fun little shake-up for the album as a whole, but it's all that this song really has going for it. Paul's vocals are again heavily buried in the mix, the other instruments don't play a prominent role, and not much happens in its runtime. This honestly feels like an unfinished song, and I'd have worked on it more.
Track #17 is "Cruel Soul", which is a leisurely paced blues rocker that at least has clear vocals from Paul, strong bass, and a distinct structure that doesn't overstay its welcome. While well performed for what it is, I do wish that this apocalyptic, planet-destroying concept album had more intense hard rock numbers! Then we have "Dreamspell", a fitting name for this slower and more ethereal (by their standards) track, and in that respect, Paul's vocals being too layered and inaudible helps! I get how it might fit the album theme, but if you've come for "crash rock", this is too much of a diversion, and it just lies there. After being sent to Hell during the events of "WYRD Witch A1", actual station DJ Zara returns on "WYRD Crisps A5" as subservient to the orange demon, where she introduces the next songs from Sykotyk Rampage, but not before running a commercial for Zombie Brain Crisps.
Let's just say these aren't the chips you're used to seeing at the store! The next proper song is "Steam God's City", which is the first song on this album featuring Dirk on vocals, albeit sharing with Paul. It's good to hear Dirk's quavery punk snarl trading off with his brother here, and everyone's clear and in the foreground, but the song itself isn't too musically involved and has a spare, empty quality. Not my favourite composition but the vocal variance is noted! After that is "Giants", a 6 minute jam rock number that has Paul singing about the invading giants. Nice direct and suited lyrics for the album concept, but the song itself gives no horrific vibes to match, as it's just a repetitive blues rock number that moves along one track without ever shifting gears. The penultimate station break is next, entitled "WYRD Resistance A6", where an ogre battalion resistance leader (another British TTS voice) calls on humans to stand up and fight.
The resistance has reclaimed WYRD Radio from the demons and killed the invading DJs, but can mankind defeat the orange demon and the rest of his minions? This announcement is oddly played twice, once with the echoed effects used for "Zara" on "WYRD Crisps A5". The next three songs are allegedly the resistance's battle cry (though still Sykotyk Rampage), starting with "Ogres Hunt Trolls", and this is similar in pacing and structure to "Giants", but it has a little more in the way of guitar flourish. Nothing shocking to report here, if you like what the Beckers and crew have been up to far, you'll like this, but it's not peak SKR for my preferences. Next is the longer "Sword Of The Dreamlords", which is a drawn out and (dare I say) proggier composition that, while not heavy or speedy, does let the guys stretch their legs a bit.
By no means is this a favourite song (it's wanders and the buried vocals from Paul return here), but it's effective at what it's trying to be! Next is "Bridge Of The Troll", and a fuller sound with good distortion makes this a better track than many on offer, and Paul's singing is a little clearer, if still bogged down in background effects. Just too laid back and casual for an alleged "battle cry", you know? The last station break here is "WYRD End A7", where Zara (freed from her demonic enslavement) returns to thank everyone for listening to the midnight horror show, though specifics on how the orange demon was defeated will have to be deciphered out of song lyrics. Zara sets up "The WYRD Radio Touch Me Softly Music Hour" next featuring romantic songs, and a French AI voice takes over to set up the programming ahead. The album ends with four songs ostensibly from this show.
Of those, the first is "Systemic Shock", which notably sees the return of late 2000s-early 2010s bassist Brian Cattapan (I don't know if Tony is on this track too or not). How "romantic" this song is will be very much up for debate, but amazingly, it took surviving the attempted apocalypse and hellscape to get something more akin to what I most like out of Sykotyk Rampage! Brian's uncle-in-law Dirk sings lead here, and there's good energy and attitude here befitting the title, and while I think the song is way too long, it's fun for long-time fans and easily a favourite track on the album! Next is "Nightmare", which Dirk also handles vocals for, and this is a power pop song that sharply contrasts from his sharp and angry vocals that suit the title theme! If you like songs like "Lowest Of The Low", the vocals are not dissimilar, but the song is very casual and easy going with fun guitar riffs. Not a bad change of pace!
The second-to-last track is also the shortest proper song here, "Francois' Wonderland", which sees Paul return to lead vocals for the last time on the album, and this is more akin to their earlier and better known bluesy rock songs with clear and more melodic singing. Dirk and Shane deliver fun swingy guitar riffs throughout, and while it can be a tad repetitive, it's a short listen. This is a song that would play well live if they ever returned to concerts! "WYRD Radio 3" ends with "Swipe Right To Die" (maybe we should switch dating apps!), and while Dirk is singing lead, this is a more drawn out, reserved song like much of the "midnight horror show" content. The title's threat only really feels matched via Paul's backing vocals. Not a bad composition, but too long and meandering compared to what I prefer.
Having survived the orange demon's attempted annihilation of Earth, what are my final thoughts on "WYRD Radio 3"? Honestly, it's a step down in quality from 2024's "Waerlogas Sagas 1" and reminds me in ways of what might have happened if 2023's "69" had an overarching concept. Sykotyk Rampage's brand of crash rock is not everyone's cup of tea, but I like them best when they're playing energetic freewheeling jam hard rock, and this album had little of that until the midnight horror show story had wrapped up (the three songs before "Swipe Right To Die" were my favourites here). When the demons were on the warpath, this album was often very slow, deliberate, and meandering, not helped by the 23 proper songs having an average length of 5:31. My biggest issue was a sporadic one, but why were Paul's vocals so heavily processed or buried in the mix on many of the included songs?
For such a heightened and evocative sci-fi story, I'd have been accentuating it with clear vocals across the board, let alone more with more forceful and heavy music. I assume the tempo choices were to set an ominous mood, but I rarely felt chaos and despair. It's not a bad album, everyone performs to their strengths, with strong guitar and bass throughout, but I'd have made different tonal and post-production choices. See what you think at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's album review! No rest for the wicked with our backlog, as next month's album review will be of alt-hard rock band Handsome Sandwich's sophomore album "Collage"! Look for that and much more next month! Thanks everyone!
Local hard rock cover quartet Unfortunate Sun will return to The Merchants Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday (The Merch never acknowledged it on social media, as usual). You'd think that Unfortunate Sun would have given this more of a push, as TOMORROW'S concert will actually be their final gig with singer Skip Parish, who is retiring from the band for unannounced reasons. This is the second lineup departure in under two months for Unfortunate Sun, following bassist Tony Rogers' exit in January, with the band playing just three gigs with new bassist Brett Blackwood in the fold before announcing that Skip is leaving too. From their predecessors Fake Chow to today, Skip has been a strong presence on vocals, and hopefully TOMORROW's show is a fitting sendoff!
Next up, local blues/hard rock cover quintet Project 906 will return to Hulbert Happy Hour in Hulbert Township for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT themselves! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band also only announced this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday (and given the weather forecast, you may not want to bring an AI-generated snowmombile to the bar for it). Last seen at Hulbert Happy Hour five months ago during a poker run, TOMORROW'S show will be their first anywhere since rocking The Strongs Tavern last week. Of course, drummer Jason VanLuven is playing in the Soo TOMORROW with Unfortunate Sun, who get priority when the two bands have conflicting dates, but 906 have not announced whether there will be a guest fill-in drummer or not (but they have played shows with hand drummer Brian Duford as the sole percussionist in the past, so they won't be out of luck regardless).
In one more show announcement, let's take a brief detour to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will return to The Water Tower Pub on Saturday, March 28th! This show was announced via the venue's March concert calendar, and Separate Wayz TONIGHT aside, is the only new hard rock-leaning show revealed thusly. The pub didn't post a monthly calendar online last month, and January's seemed extremely rushed, so it's good to see the Great Northern Road nightclub putting the regular one up for March! Joel, Beej, Dan, and Ric will rock out at month's end with no cover, a 19+ age limit, and an 8:00 PM start time, and as the venue hosts different nightly bands, classic/pop rock veterans Encore are playing there on Friday the 27th. Visit the above links for more details, and while we're on the subject, here's a newly uploaded video from Double Down's Facebook page of them live with a special guest!
