Sugarfist Reviews:

New Haven Advocate

Sugarfist , Media Date Rape EP (Sling Slang Records, sugarfist.com). Thirty minutes of sonic psychosis. Listening to this is like shooting up with a needle full of Mr. Bungle rhythms, ska, swing, metal, funk, calliope, art noise, caustic Zappa-esque social observations, and off-kilter time changes that actually meld and aren’t random. The female vocals resemble Monique from Save Ferris and there are clever samples from Monty Python and the Republican National Convention. Crazy good.—Craig Gilbert

Sugarfist, Media Date Rape
By: Nick R. Scalia, Content Editor

Sounds Like: Angrily political metal-jazz-avant-experimental-ska-core. The dynamic aggression and far-left politics might remind you of System of a Down, the multi-part songs bring to mind The Mars Volta, and damn if female co-vocalist Jenn Jacobs doesn't sound a hell of a lot like Gwen Stefani at times. But the eclectic, bizarre, highly entertaining recent EP from local combo Sugarfist sounds like all of them and none of them all at once, whipping out everything from grindcore throwdowns to video game sound effects to big band swing in a lean, mean 30 minutes. The band's first release since their mindblowing 2004 long-player Jamais Vu, Media Date Rape finds Sugarfist abandoning many of the lighthearted touches of their earlier effort - don't worry, they're still pretty fun even when they're pissed off - to craft a song cycle that's three-quarters about politics, one-quarter about David Lynch. Along the way, there are moments of pure metal (delivered convincingly by versatile frontman Johnny Cakes), some Zappa-esque jazz weirdness, slick funk, and patches of skank-worthy ska and swing. The band seems to have tightened up a lot in two years, with the prominent horn section (one of their best assets) sounding especially good. The sound-collage that closes Anti-A-Merry-Can Swing - culled from about a zillion Republican National Convention speeches - is pretty impressive, as well. Get It From: Sling Slang Records, at www.slingslang.com.

By Dan Barry
Local Motion/The Hartford Advocate Sugarfist
Media Date Rape
(Sling Slang)

They did it — they matched the promise of their last album. Sugarfist’s Jamais Vu was a breakout disc of the sort that makes you say “they’ll never pull that off again.” Media Date Rape may be shorter — only four tracks — but it’s even bolder and broader in its explorations. Political themes dominate the disc (“Blue Velvet Diaries” pauses to explore one of Johnny Cakes’ favorite flicks), but the focus has broadened to include class disparity as well as the obvious media criticisms. Total two-stepping disco metal madness. Order at www.slingslang.com.