Published on Oct 9, 2000
At first glance, one would think that King Prawn is a band who
is out for the cheap laugh. The cover of their latest disc
Surrender To The Blender suggests that this disc is one to
slap on to keep the party going.
Yet the band has much more substance than you’d expect from
first glance. A mixture of ska and metal, King Prawn takes the
lessons learned from the ska revival in the early ’80s and whips
them into a frenzy for 2000. The end result is a pretty enjoyable
album.
Sure, there is a lighter side to the band and their music, proof
that they studied groups like Madness and Bad Manners. But there is
more than a touch of serious social overtones to their music,
putting them up there with groups like The Selecter. Put that all
together, and the band – vocalist Al Rumjen, guitarist Devil Hands,
bassist/vocalist Babar Luck and drummer Slugboy (I don’t make up
the stage names, kids, I just re-type ’em) – and you’ve got a band
who want to be remembered for more than just their music.
In the end, King Prawn will probably be remembered for both,
though it is occasionally hard to decipher Rumjen’s machine-gun
vocal style. Tracks like “No Peace,” “Be Warned,” “American Funded
Genocide” and “Crackhead” challenge the listener to think about the
band’s lyrics, not just to idly sit by and take in the album. Of
course, a healthy balance is provided in the music, from the
instrumental joy of “Espiritu Du Carnival” to the full-throttle
attack of “The Postman Song” and one unlisted track. Combined,
these two songs clock in at just around a minute, but they provide
relief at the right junctures of the album.
The only real negative anyone could lay on
Surrender To The Blender is that it’s not the kind of album
you’ll immediately understand. Sure, you can get so much enjoyment
from this disc on just one listen, but the real meat behind the
musical potatoes only shows itself after you’ve spent some time
with this disc. In this instant gratification world, many people
might not be willing to make that kind of a time investment… but
if you do, it will prove to be well worth it.
Surrender To The Blender is the kind of disc that should
make listeners sit up and take notice of King Prawn. It may not be
the key to unlock another ska revival… but revolution comes one
note at a time.