Austrian Death Machine

When it comes to metal, humor is as dead a horse as you can get. Let's face it: In the post-GWAR era, there arguably isn't any new boundary of shtick that hasn't been breached. Yet bands keep on flogging away. And, while the boneheaded insistence on sophomoric humor results in...

By Saby Reyes-Kulkarni

December 25, 2008

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When it comes to metal, humor is as dead a horse as you can get. Let's face it: In the post-GWAR era, there arguably isn't any new boundary of shtick that hasn't been breached. Yet bands keep on flogging away. And, while the boneheaded insistence on sophomoric humor results in scores of tiresome groups that pretend to be mocking clichés (when they're really just plain cliché and masking a lack of talent), we should still be thankful. Why? Because every now and again a band like Austrian Death Machine comes along. Now, before you even get to the music, this San Diego outfit will have you laughing your ass off with insta-classic song titles like "It's Not a Tumor" and "Get to the Choppa." Savvy readers will note that those phrases were ever-so-gracefully bludgeoned into pop culture parlance by none other than Ahh-nold Schwarzenegger. Yes, that's right, we're talking about a band whose entire image is built around the Governor Terminator himself. And for that alone, ADM deserves kudos. Not to mention that its retro-thrash style sounds as refreshing in 2008 as "I'll be back" did in 1984.

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