DEAD KENNEDYS - FRANKENCHRIST

Frankenchrist manages to slow things down a bit. It’s a change I’m sure most fans didn’t care for, but I for one think it was a huge step in the right direction. For starters, the main thing I like about Frankenchrist is East Bay Ray’s guitar playing, which sounds a lot more intricate here. He has this incredibly unique, groovy guitar sound that seems to mix hardcore punk with surf rock to form a sound unlike any I’ve ever heard. I’ve listened to other so-called “surf punk” bands, but those don’t capture this type of style, they only sound like a slightly sped up version of classic surf rock. This is something entirely different; like surf rock being played from the depths of hell. The first two albums showed a hint of this style, but it wasn’t until Frankenchrist that it became prominent. The other big change is Jello Biafra’s vocals. Like everything else, the singing has also slowed down. You’ll still get a few fast songs like “Hellnation”, but I think those are in the minority. This was another aspect that fans probably didn’t like, but I think it makes him sound even more cynical, sarcastic, and humorous, which is exactly what the subject matter calls for. Written by Michael Corleone 2009. Fitting.