Review Summary: A solid, unique album that combines psychedelic punk with Melvin-esque post-metal.
Nunchukka Superfly is an Australian punk/psychedelic/post-metal band comprising of Ray, Blackie (two thirds of the legendary Sydney band The Hard-Ons) and Joel. There Are No Accidents...Just ***wits is essentially a post-hardcore album with huge stoner riffs, psychedelic twists, jazzy time-shifts, punk rock fury, reflective passages and vocals that range from a raw-throated holler to a soft whisper.
Opener “Hat” kicks things off with a slow, distorted guitar riff reminiscent of The Melvins. Ray keeps the rhythm pounding with relentless bass guitar that compliments the crashing of the drums quite effectively. Blackie brings cohesiveness to the track with dissonant riffage and a vast vocal range. Another highlight is “Paul Cook's Doppelganger”. Clocking in at 9:53, this somewhat epic track explores elements of noise rock and contains some very interesting vocal passages. It also experiments with odd structure and time signature shifts.
“Sleeping Bag Stingray” is the most experimental track on the album. It begins with a looped sample of a woman speaking some Eastern European language played over a keyboard melody and Blackie’s ghostly vocals. “Bleed From Their Mouths” begins with a scratchy bass riff and very Mike Patton-esque vocals from Blackie and is a highlight of the album. “Giordano Brund's Trial Set to Music” is a long track that plays with jazzy-time shifts without sacrificing the sludgy heaviness. It contains a very prog-psychedelic middle section that features with up-tempo keyboards. The only real flaw in the album I think is Joel’s drumming which lacks the originality that the rest of the music has.
There Are No Accidents...Just ***wits is the second effort from Nunchukka Superfly and possesses a uniqueness that is very fresh in terms of today’s music scene. Essentially, There Are No Accidents...Just ***wits is a heavy album that combines elements of punk, noise, metal and psychedelic music into a varied but cohesive piece. It is the result of some of Australia’s most underrated and hard working musicians (Ray and Blackie) and manages to be dense, experimental, progressive and ***-heavy throughout the 12 tracks. Highly recommended for fans of The Hard-Ons and The Melvins.
