Back in the '90s, good heavy metal was more or less dead in the Bay Area. If you wanted Machine Head-style nu-metal and groove bands, there were plenty to go around, but the cool stuff was nearly non-existent. A young Pennsylvanian export, Mike Scalzi didn't give a damn about what was and wasn't hip, and formed The Lord Weird Slough Feg in San Francisco in 1990. Scalzi and Feg flew the flag for traditional heavy metal when no one else cared, and continue to do so over twenty years later. The band plays a style of classic heavy metal that blends Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy with occasional influences from thrash and doom metal. They did the sound better than everyone else when there was no competition, and they continue to do mop the floor with just about every retro-metal act around today.
I still haven't heard Feg's debut, so this page begins here with their second album. This album's a favorite among older fans- the folk influences are the most pronounced on Twilight of the Idols and Scalzi's vocals have a rough, almost punk quality. Scalzi was also the lone guitar player on this album, which lends to the rawer sound as well. The album contains a couple all-time classics in 'High Season II' and 'Highlander,' and the super fun folk-ditty 'Brave Connor Mac.' 'The Great Ice Wars' was Feg's first attempt at a long epic, and while it's enjoyable, it's not a track that I jump to often for repeated listens. Twilight is a consistent listen and doesn't have a track on it that's disappointing or bad- a solid Feg release. It is notable for being Slough Feg's most Celtic-sounding album. That influence would increasingly diminish as Feg's career progressed.
Oh yeah. Slough Feg upped their game big time with Down Among the Deadmen. The riffs are catchier, the production is beefier and the songs are all around rad. Scalzi found a new foil in John Cobbett, then known for his work with Bay Area black metal group Ludicra, and the two show off their badass interplay right away in 'Sky Chariots.' Scalzi's voice is in prime form, and he delivers some of Feg's catchiest choruses in the monolithic 'Warriors Dawn' and the swaggering 'Traders and Gunboats.' Both of these tracks are Feg favorites, with the latter track hinting at the sci-fi theme that was soon to come. The album ends with the incredible behemoth that is 'Death Machine,' with a bludgeoning performance from drummer extraordinaire Greg Haa augmenting Scalzi and Cobbett's glorious riffs and harmonies. The bridge is one of Feg's most raging and furious moments, and sends crowds into a frenzy regularly. Down Among the Deadmen is frequently cited as one of the band's greatest works, and it's tough to argue with that assertion- this album contains one classic track after another, and a timeless engineering job from Justin Weis. Down Among the Deadmen also featured Bay Area veteran Jon Torres on bass, who sadly passed away in September 2013.
This was Mike Scalzi's attempt at heavy metal immortality. Well, it didn't really work- Slough Feg are still far too under-appreciated by the vast majority of the metal world. Scalzi did however manage to craft a masterpiece. Traveller is quite simply a classic slab of traditional heavy metal. Justin Weis manned the board yet again, but this time he gave Feg a bright, punchy production that fit the outer space theme perfectly. The songs were Scalzi's best yet, from the galloping glory that is 'High Passage/Low Passage' to the crashing climax, 'The Final Gambit.' Greg Haa gave his finest performance ever, punctuating every song with some truly amazing fills and plenty of deft double bass work. Scalzi and John Cobbett frequently delight with great solos and harmonies- seriously, is the guitar work in 'Vargr Theme/Confrontation (Genetic Prophesy)' rad or what? Traveller is a concept album involving space pirates, dog/person hybrids and human genocide. It's a neat tale, but the songs are more than strong on their own. Traveller is yet another fan favorite though Scalzi himself isn't too fond of the album, considering the songs to be unfinished and unrefined. Traveller also marked the debut of bassist Adrian Maestas, who remains with the band to this day.
The first album to feature the same lineup as its predecessor, (and the first album to drop "The Lord Weird" from the band name), Atavism was a solid entry into the Feg canon. This album marked the first time Scalzi's signature happy melodies became an element of Slough Feg's sound. Right away, "I Will Kill You/You Will Die" features a vocal line that's catchy in the same manner as a children's song, as does the undeniably great 'Hiberno Latin Invasion.' Overall, while Atavism is good, it lacks the wild-eyed energy of Traveller and Down Among the Deadmen. Many songs are on the slower end of things, and quite a few tracks are very short, like 'High Season,' which ends much too soon. Luckily the album ends with the furious 'Atavism II,' but overall the record is very good and nothing more, whereas other Feg albums are among the best in the traditional metal field. There are still a great deal of fun songs on here, and a couple of Feg classics, but as a record Atavism lies at the middle tier of the band's discography. Atavism was also John Cobbett and Greg Haa's last album with Slough Feg- Cobbett would reach amazing heights with his other groups Hammers of Misfortune and Ludicra, while Haa more or less dropped off the face of the Earth.
Uh-oh. The decline continues on Hardworlder. The album kicks off in earnest with 'Tiger! Tiger!' which boasts another classic Feg chorus, but is missing the propulsive energy of prior Slough Feg album openers. Antoine Reuben's drumming is also a massive step down from the out of this world thrashing that fans had come to expect from Greg Haa, though Angelo Tringali makes for a fine replacement for John Cobbett. Scalzi's voice is in noticeably worn and weathered form on Hardworlder, a result of Feg's relentless touring in the years before. There really isn't much to say about Hardworlder- it's an enjoyable record with no lame songs, but there isn't anything particularly exciting about any of the tracks either. It's probably Feg's "worst" album, but that said it's probably a hell of a lot better than many bands' best records.
Holy shit. Seriously- holy shit. After the complacent and mildly disappointing Hardworlder, Slough Feg went and recorded their finest album ever, Ape Uprising! Opening track "The Hunchback of Notre Doom" was both Scalzi's greatest pun yet, and also Feg's slowest track. It also carried a sheer heaviness that Feg had never even attempted before, and showed that the band could do lurching doom metal just as well as any of the young guns out there. The title track in turn is a swirling labyrinth of fantastic harmonies and riffs from Angelo Tringali and Scalzi, and its wild jackhammer finale is beyond awesome. It's probably the greatest song Slough Feg ever recorded. New drummer Harry Cantwell adds some much needed energy and drive to every one of these songs, and provides an all-around phenomenal performance on Ape Uprising!, somehow giving the long-departed Greg Haa a run for his money. Cantwell's performance on "Shakedown at the Six" is muscular and mighty, throwing in flurries of snare and hat fills and bludgeoning double bass and the track is pretty damn catchy in its own right. Scalzi also sounds freshly re-invigorated on Ape Uprising!, giving his most youthful and energetic vocal performance yet despite his timbre growing increasingly more husky. "White Cousin" is also Feg's best folk song yet, with a perfect mix of acoustic and electric guitars making the track a Celtic metal classic. The raging finish of 'Nasty Hero' is yet another of this album's great moments, being kicked off by hearty laughter from Scalzi before punching the listener in the face. Ape Uprising! wasn't Slough Feg's fastest record, nor was it their most "metal." It was however, their most inspired outing, their most consistent album and a whole lot of fun.
Upon the first listen, The Animal Spirits doesn't quite match the high standard set by Slough Feg's last record, Ape Uprising! Further listens reveal a truly rich and rewarding album though, as Slough Feg gracefully transition into a sound that's more hard rock influenced than metal. Opening track "Trick the Vicar" sees Scalzi back with an endless barrage of puns, and a barreling assault from the entire band. Track 2, 'The 95 Thesis' is a contender for the title of "best Slough Feg song ever," boasting one of the best riffs that Thin Lizzy never wrote. Harry Cantwell is a standout on this track, as is Angelo Tringali- his and Scalzi's solos on The Animal Spirits are frequently classy and full of melody. Bassist Adrian Maestas is also given some much deserved space in the mix, rumbling and growling about and driving the action with his busy lines. Maestas also pens the badass closing track, 'Tactical Air-War,' which features the towering presence of none other than Bob Wright of Brocas Helm. Where Hardworlder sounded almost boring in its lack of aggression, The Animal Spirits sounds free and open. Even "Free Market Barbarian", a track that is nowhere near Feg's heaviest or fastest offering, features riffs that are so good and performances so inspired that the song is great regardless. Justin Weis gives The Animal Spirits a wonderfully analog production- the instruments are anything but spit-shined, yet you can pick everything out in the mix amazingly easily. At first I thought this album was Slough Feg's "middle-years" record, but over time it's revealed itself to be one of the band's best.
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