Review: The Mad Doctors - No Waves, Just Sharks

As I alluded to in my recent Intelligence Service review, the garage punk scene can sometimes seem a bit dusty and devoid of new ideas - however, that being said when it's done right it is a joy. Luckily bands like The Intelligence Service and The Mad Doctors do do it right. The Mad Doctors are Brooklyn based and consist of Dr. Seth Applebaum (Guitar/Vocals), Dr. Josh Park (Bass/Vocals) & Dr. Gregory X (Drums/theremin) - they are also heavily involved in Brooklyn's gnarliest label King Pizza Records. 'No Waves, Just Sharks' is their second album following their 2014 'Snake Oil Superscience' (also exceptional). What makes The Mad Doctors so good is their willingness and ability to mix things up - although ostensibly a garage band they throw in some surf, stoner rock and heavy psych to make their recordings a real smorgasbord of fuzzy delights.

'No Waves, Just Sharks' kicks off with 'The Ballad Of Jort Dad', a high octane surf/dragstrip track which positively flys out of the block and you just know that over the next half an hour or so you are in for a ride of your life. The guitars veer between speedy surf and stoner with some killer riffs. 'Springwater Supper Wizard' (no, me neither) takes that familiar garage structure and feel but the fuzz levels put most garage bands in the shade...the reverb is stunning! 'Dead Beach' opens with a sample (presumably from a beach based B-movie) before blossoming into a surfy number with great twang guitar that sounds almost noirish. 'Shit Hawks At Blood Beach'....fantastic title....also opens with spoken word but soon blossoms into something vaguely gothabilly a la Deadbolt, the vibe is deep, down and nasty with the stabs of guitar sounding almost ominous. 'Lord Of Garbage' is heralded by the words 'Welcome to the world of filth ...where dirty children run wild' so we are left under no illusion where we stand. It is a heavy track, more stoner psych but still retains a garage vibe, thanks in part to the female harmonies that pop up at various times. 'Justin's A Cop' follows in the same vein...more killer riffs that owe as much to heavy psych as they do to garage punk. 'Mind Rot' is a fantastic track...pedal to the metal punk with loads of fuzz and some real top class drumming which is followed by 'Dial M (For Sultry)' which ups the fuzz quotient even further...it positively bursts from the speaker in a maelstrom of reverb and feedback. The vocals have a real Mick Collins aspect to them on this one....and musically it could be a heavier Dirtbombs...great stuff! 'She's A Psycho' is another punk rock blast that I defy anyone to listen to and not nod their head appreciatively...it's tracks like this that really breathe new life into the whole garage punk scene...loud, snotty and fuzzy...three words that basically sum up all that you need to know. The album is closed by 'The Rats Are Coming' which comes on almost like a doom track..slow and fucking heavy. The riffs roll and gather like some fuzzy tsunami...a hell of a way to bring things to a conclusion.

'No Waves, Just Sharks' is a fine, fine album....full of punk bravado, brain scrambling fuzz and killer riffs...it would seem to call it garage punk is a bit of a misnomer but it is - albeit with stoner psych sensibilities. As mentioned, The Mad Doctors are one of a handful of bands redesigning and reforming the garage punk sound, drawing in new influences and approaches to make something fresh and very exciting. 'No Waves, Just Sharks' is available from the band's Bandcamp page here as a download and limited vinyl.