The Oxys from Austin, Texas have unleashed a monster of an album on Casting Pearls Before Swine — their third full-length release. As the biblical title suggests, this is not a collection of songs for the faint-hearted. With a stated intention of "wrangling fans out of their world weary despondency," the band is pretty damn clear about its mission on this LP. These songs will grab you by the throat!
The Oxys were formed out of a songwriting partnership between guitarist Ginchy (Dead Boys, Sylvain Sylvain) and vocalist Phil D. I'm always stoked to hear new bands playing real deal '77-style punk rock 'n' roll, but The Oxys are far more than just your standard old school punk revivalists. This band combines the grit and danger of early American gutter punk with the darkly melodic sensibility and catchy lead guitar work of early '80s SoCal punk. And lyrically, this band has its finger on the pulse of contemporary life and all that ails it. Casting Pearls Before Swine takes a good, hard look at the modern psyche — exploring themes ranging from lust to obsession to toxic relationships to betrayal to the survival instinct to cold-hearted killers and our sometimes disturbing fascination with them. That's some dark stuff, but this album is not a difficult listen. This is fierce, furious music that ought to be cranked loudly while you shout along and pump your fist in the air. Those lead guitars are absolute fire, and Phil sings with full conviction about "the universal tension between human acts that harm, and yet stimulate us." Not content to just go a million miles an hour all the time, The Oxys show they know how to pace themselves on the menacing slow-burner "Eaten Alive (the ballad of Joe Ball)" and the macabre closer "Drop of Blood."
While not exactly a "horror punk" record, Casting Pearls Before Swine does seem a fitting release for this time of the year when we love to embrace our strange attraction to all things horrifying. For months I've been trying to explain why I'm always creeped out when the ice cream truck comes through my development, and now "Mr. Softee" makes it all so clear. If you dig nasty, in-your-face punk rock that has something meaningful to say about the human experience, this is the album for you. Get it from Cleopatra Records!
https://theoxysatx.bandcamp.com/album/casting-pearls-before-swine
https://open.spotify.com/album/25GCHx7sDFGXejxzwu2B2t
https://theoxys.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theoxysband/
https://www.instagram.com/the.oxys/
https://cleorecs.com/products/the-oxys-casting-pearls-before-swine-black-vinyl-lp?srsltid=AfmBOoo829X9upVArSJO7HJstactZM6eAyMXC_pCcC-IuCkgFUO85JY3
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