SLIK TOXIK – Doin’ The Nasty [Bad Reputation remastered +3] (2022) HQ *0dayrox Exclusive*

Since the beginning of the ’90s, the waters were a bit rocky for the hard rock / metal world, especially in America. The landscape was changing and bands such as Warrant, Poison, and Skid Row who all at one time were selling out arenas and amphitheaters found themselves playing to 1/2 full venues and in some cases reduced to playing half full clubs.
It was also a bad time for new bands of the genre who were coming out. While this was true, it definitely didn’t mean that these acts weren’t any good. As a matter of fact, bands like Tora Tora, War Babies, and Babylon AD were doing this stuff as good if not better than many of their peers.
Of those acts, one band and their debut album rose above them all to really blow my mind. That band was Canada’s SLIK TOXIK and the album was ”Doin’ The Nasty”.
Now Bad Reputation Records is doing justice to that killer melodic hard rock album from 1992 reissuing a newly remastered version of Slik Toxik‘s debut full-length ”Doin’ The Nasty” with three bonus tracks. And believe me, if you like this genre, you need to listen to this CD.

Slik Toxik was formed in 1988 out of Toronto hard rock band Portrait. Portrait consisted of original members singer/guitarist Nick Walsh, drummer Kevin Harrison, guitarist Kevin Gale and bassist/lyricist Dave Mercel.
Capitol Records (EMI) signed the band in 1991 and issued an EP. This was followed in 1992 by the full album ”Doin’ The Nasty”. Both the EP and full-length album were produced by Paul Gross and co-produced by Anthony Vanderburgh and recorded at Toronto’s world class facility studio Phase One.
They won the 1993 Juno Award for Hard Rock Album of the Year, and deservedly so.
The “White Lies/Black Truth” video won the People’s Choice Award for ‘Best Video Of The Year‘ and “Helluvatime” took home the ‘Best Metal Video Award‘ at the 1992 MuchMusic Video Awards.

I know what you’re probably saying. “Man, that’s a lame band name and lame album name.” Well, just press play and listen.
Slik Toxik was a band that was really unique in a genre that was beginning to sound tired and where every band was sounding like carbon copies of the very bands who were starting to dwindle. Slik Toxik brought a kind of hard rock that had me excited and made me forget that this kind of music was on its way out.

The opening song “Big Fucking Deal” starts out the CD perfectly, and right off the bat you’re made aware that the skill and talent of this band is undeniable.
“Helluvatime” was the band’s first single, commercial and catchy, but it all comes to a head on “Sweet Asylum.” Now this is where Slik Toxik flexes their muscles and opens the door for a killer and elaborated rocker at the same time. As you listen closely to this song, you hear all of the intricacies and brilliance in the arrangement. It’s a stellar monster song, infectious.

“While Lies, Black Truth” is an amazing slow burn kind of rock song about drug use and then you have your good ol’ fashioned hard rockers like “Marionette”, “Blood Money”, and “Cheap Nicotine” which let us know that underneath it all, they’re a band that has roots.
“By the Fireside” is a power ballad which wouldn’t surprise me if the record label pressured them to write a “love song”, but even in its corny radio intention it’s a fabulous song.

The show stoppers on ”Doin’ the Nasty” without a doubt are “Crashed” and “It’s Not Easy.” In my opinion, “It’s Not Easy” just may be one of the all time greatest songs from the ’80s / early ’90s melodic hard rock genre. I mean, this song is so bad ass and 30 years later it’s even more bad ass than I remembered. That f@cking guitar solo with the slap bass guitar and the drummer raging on the double bass… then you get this funky break down and all.
This song is simply epic and again, whenever I hear this it just saddens me that this band went so sadly overlooked.

Three decades later, ”Doin’ The Nasty” is an album that is still a blast to listen to. The production is perfect, huge, the band plays absolutely amazing, and the songs are so well thought out, well written, and perfectly executed.
Slik Toxik is a band that may have never rose above the horizon to make their presence widely known but ”Doin’ The Nasty” serves as a reminder that some of the greatest albums ever made are the ones you never even knew existed.
Absolutely KILLERRR (contributors get lossless today)

Only at 0dayrox

01. Big Fuckin’ Deal
02. Helluvatime
03. Sweet Asylum
04. White Lies / Black Truth
05. Cherry Bomb
06. Marionette
07. It’s Not Eazy
08. Crashed
09. By The Fireside
10. Blood Money
11. Cheap Nicotine
12. Midnight Grind
13. Rachel’s Dead
BONUS TRACKS:
14. Riff Raff
15. Mass Confusion
16. Rachel’s Breathing

Vocals – Nicholas S. Walsh
Bass – Patric Howarth
Drums – Neal Busby
Guitars – Kevin Gale, Rob Bruce

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