If The Spits are the lovechild of Devo and the Ramones, Shrinkwrap Killers certainly share mutant DNA with all three.
SWK is a project of Greg Wilkinson who is usually producing all kinds of noisy doom sludge metal with bands like Brainoil, Deathgrave, and Leather Glove, but with Shrinkwrap Killers, it’s clear there’s been an alter-ego lurking beneath the surface. ‘Feral Rats Have Become Our Only Pets‘ is SWK’s second release, the first “Parents + FBI = Cahoots” was released in 2019.
With SWK, Wilkerson delivers hooky, driving synth-punk as catchy as anything from Lost Sounds, and the man has a knack for penning first-rate song-titles, like ‘Shotgunning O’Doul’s And Kicking Dicks’ and ‘Stolen Electronics To Shove Up Your Ass’. But smirks aside, along with the title track, these tracks are firey bursts of punk rock.
Though most of the 11 tracks have a uniform sound with an energetic drum machine and wall of guitars and vocals, this is a great listen. Surprisingly,’Last Moments Before Being Spaced‘ and ‘This Doorway Leads 20 Years Into The Future‘ are moody and atmospheric darkwave treats suggesting maybe there’s another alter-ego lying in wait.
Out on Iron Lung Records.
