Rating: 7/10
Friday marked the release of Viagra Boys’ thrashing fourth studio album, “viagr aboys.” The band has always been abrasive in its music since its inception in 2015, symbolizing a still-satirical modern approach to punk.
Led by lyricist and frontman Sebastian Murphy, Viagra Boys toys with the line between a cultivated act and a real introspective look into the mind of Murphy. The group managed to produce some sincerity in between state-of-the-world commentary, gross visuals and sardonic personal outbursts.
The album’s sound consists of distortion-heavy industrial backings to Murphy’s morphing vocals and off-the-wall lyrics. Most tracks conform to the post-punk genre of chaotic sounds and anharmonic melodies to match the uneasy feeling the artist tries to convey.
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The lead single, “Man Made of Meat,” has some interesting lyrics that speak to the absurd nature of the album. Opening the album, it introduces the listener to the band’s “sick of it” attitude and heavy sound heard throughout the entirety of the runtime. Many lyrics in other tracks mirror this absurd and nonsensical style, making the album a commentary about the craziness of life and today’s world. The song proposes many modern ideas that are often critiqued, such as wild celebrity deaths, foot fetishes and artificial intelligence chat rooms.
“I’m subscribed to your mom’s OnlyFans/ I spent five bucks a month to get pictures of her flappy giblets/ And I spent another ten dollars a month to chat with her on the AI chat program,” Murphy sings.
Murphy often takes on this destructive and perverted characterization of himself to critique ideas of masculinity, far-right ideals and highly debated topics. Bringing up the concepts of a mother’s OnlyFans account and AI chat rooms effortlessly opens discourse to the nature of these practices. Clearly, Viagra Boys are trying to get people talking.
Another track that explores the artificial male ego on this album is “You N33d Me.” Near the end of the album, the song sports a signature screeching guitar and an almost spoken word vocal style. Repeating the phrase, “I need you and you need me,” Murphy introduces more personal themes of dependence, whether that be to another person or substances. Moments like these on the album peek through the persona of the punk band to showcase a sincere portrait of humanity instead of a sarcastic or ironic one.
“I can make your girl stop what she’s doin’ and turn around and watch me do my little dance/ I can drink about fifteen beers or twenty-five, it depends on the can,” Murphy sings.
Sincerity on a hard and heavy album isn’t easy, so Murphy still disguises it in masked lyrics, using his off-putting and disastrous persona. With lyrics saying he could make people stop and stare, the track cements the ironic, overly masculine energy signaled in some songs off the album.
Viagra Boys closes the album with a slower, stripped-down track titled “River King.” Its themes encapsulate a sweet and intimate relationship that makes things seem easier than before.
Song after song is filled with their signature loud and abrasive sound, but in their final moments, they opened up to the listener more than ever. The unexpected nature of the album’s end only fuels the chaos found in Viagra Boys’ world and the ludicrous state of the nation they want to express.
“Viagr aboys” throws the listener around through harsh and grating tracks that capture a wild absurdity that possesses the world. Sonically, it follows in the footsteps of their three previous albums and continues to produce hellish but comical musical spaces. Above all, it’s a fun, witty and inward look at humanity, instead of their previous attempts at mass political statements and ironic, sarcastic ideals.
