SLAP THAT BASS REVIEW
Killer Tone Jones ‘Sharknado Apocalypse: Extra Bite Mini Album’
Released:September 2022
Reviewed by Kate, 25th October 2022
Killer Tone Jones are:
Dr Killer Tone Jones – Vocals (and Voodoo)
Steve Midnight – guitars
Puffer Gunn – Saxophones
Big Thumper – Drums
Nik Allen – Bass on Sharknado Jah May Can Chicken
Serena Sykes – Slap Bass on Psychonaut (Full Throttle mix) and Sharkbilly Apocalypse
Do you like surf rock, but prefer it to be more like Jaws than Hawaii 5-0? Do you feel as if you could pick a fight with a a cursed scarecrow and win? Do you wish more bands made their guitar sound as sludgy as the bottom of Regent’s Canal? Then Killer Tone Jones are absolutely the band for you. Describing themselves as ‘Garage meets surf meets old school psychobilly. Imagine if Link Ray and The Cramps had an illegitimate love child then Killer Tone Jones would be the b*****d of them all!’, the band are hypnotically compelling with a really dirty rockin’ sound and deserve all the recognition they can get for creating something really off the beaten track musically. This ‘Mini album’ is a mashup of 2021’s original Sharknado Apocalypse EP with five remixes and bonus tracks thrown in, and I have it on good authority that on the physical release there are three videos hidden away as a little treat. Why re-release such a tasty EP? Well, ‘originally the EP was a pure digital release and so a physical release is long overdue!’.
Let’s dive straight in to these shark infested waters….
Psychonaut (Full Throttle Mix) – It’s a bold move to start a release with an instrumental, but I see this is more of a prelude or introduction to what the band are trying to create. It’s instantly recognisable as surf, but it’s pitch black, wind picking up, warning flag surf, powered by this quick guitar riff that sounds like the soundtrack to an 8-bit video game. Serena’s slap bass really adds something that the original Psychonaut din’t even know it was missing.
Sharknado Apocalypse – A deceptively casual start to another almost instrumental tune, punctuated with a ‘hey, hey!’ and the occasional shout of ‘SHARKNADO!’. There’s such a satisfying roll to both the jagged guitar and layered vocals on this one, and it deserves to be a movie soundtrack in a similar vein to Chris Farren’s soundtrack album.
Point of No Return – Moody, atmospheric, clashing echoes on the guitar like roaring waves and these subtle popping drum notes make this another fab track. This tune soundtracks the part in the imaginary surf movie where the unsuspecting teens sneak onto the cursed beach for a clandestine skinny dip.
Night Dive – The tempo is even slower to the point of being almost romantic on this one. One thing that I really enjoy about Killer Tone Jones (and it’s even more apparent when they play live) is that they have the same skill Rancid did in their heyday of every musician playing something independent and completely different but somehow also complimentary to each other, and that skill is showcased on this track.
Sharknado in Dread – A popping mix with a classic jungle beat underneath that drops its knee down into dub any chance it gets. It just shows how versatile some of the tracks can be, and sampling of the line ‘we’re gonna need a bigger boat’ from Jaws is genius. If you’re looking for a psychobilly track to wreck to then this is definitely not it, but if your guilty pleasure is First Wave Ska and Dub (not that mine is, of course…absolutely not….) then you’re going to like this a whole lot.
Psychonaut – A re-release of the original, reminding us that back in 2021 it was a more atmospheric and echoing time. The ‘garage rock’ label never seems to fit the band precisely, but this is the closest you get on this release.
Doghouse Apocalypse (radio special) – It’s very, very similar to Sharknado Apocalypse, but with the main line changed to ‘The Doghouse’ and some barking / howling samples laid in there. Honestly, we need to expect the unexpected with this band, and I was not expecting this! Not suitable for listeners who own cats, and would go down really well at a halloween rock club.
Sharkbilly Apocalypse – We’re still playing with the Sharknado Apocalypse theme, but this time it’s re-worked into the style of Stray Cats. We all know that a skilled musician can make anything sound cool (Tiger Army covering the Oogie Bogie song from Nightmare Before Christmas, for instance), and this could have so easily descended into a novelty record if Killer Tone Jones hadn’t been really, really talented.
Sharknado Jah May Can Chicken – More dub! I think at this point Killer Tone Jones are mixing their own post-show DJ set to save a hard-working vinyl slinger some time, and if this was played at 1am at a club night we’d be on the dance floor to this one.
Night Dive in Dub – This track does exactly what it says in the title. It’s smooth, has this deliciously wobbly bass and is a really soothing close out to this pick and mix bag of dark treats.
All in all, this is a very surprising record that shows off a band who are not afraid to take risks and do something completely different with their established dirty garage style. It’s the soundtrack to the greatest cult classic surf b-movie that can never be released because it’d be too terrifying, and needs to be played on long drives on unlit roads at midnight. Take a leap into the thrilling world of the unknown, powered by action packed guitar riffs, and see these guys live whenever you have the chance!
