Well, there is that old discussion whether you need to know the real pioneers in order to understand any second, third, new, nu wave or whichever generation that follows. A discussion that offten also manifests itself for any Punk kid. Do you need to know Toys that Kill? You don’t. Will you enjoy their old school Garage Punk? You probably will! That’s we happily premiere their new record Triple Sabotage here on VoS!
Toys that Kill are one of these bands in the middle; between different waves of American Punk(rock) and there is a certain freshness and liveliness to their sound that one cannot imitate if you weren’t around at the time. Now after several years of “silence” the band formed around band leader Todd Congelliere was a successor to his earlier band F.Y.P. which was active between 1989 and 1999.
Here’s what Todd had to say about the birth and evolution of the new record: “There was many years that I thought that we’d never do another TTK album again. It wasn’t a bitter thing. We’re all still tight and still play actively but it was just, at the very least, an afterthought. There’s been a few attempts to do a new TTK album. In 2020 we had a full 16 song album tracked and partially mixed. We tossed it in the trash, Maybe it was cos we we’re doing it smack dab in the middle of a worldwide pandemic? That might’ve helped its journey into the garbage but in all honesty, it itself was garbage. It just wasn’t anything special. The energy and spirit seemed to be gonzo. Luckily we didn’t have assholes in suits demanding anything. Fans wanted something new. Afterall, it was 4 years since the last album. But why give em something we’re not happy with? So fast forward to May of 25, I’m on a plane coming home from an awesome East Coast tour and thought we could use a new song in our set. What planned to be just singles here and there turned into a full length that turned out more than anything we expected.”
The sound on Triple Sabotage reflects Todd’s earlier career as a professional skater and easily serves as a reminder what was great about this sound as well as a fixer-upper of a genre that has been dormant in the eyes of the mainstream for many moons by now. If you listen to this record and then try to tell me that you do not find yourself subconsciously move any one part of your body, I would love to doubt you! The energy of the twelve songs is just addictive and even though one might criticize their simplicity but then again, c’mon man, it’s Skate-Punk, not rocket science and now get a-shakin’ and a-skankin’ and a-skatin’!
You can pre-order the record via Recess Records - but now enjoy shake your hips and fists to the sound of Triple Sabotage!
