I like to think I am a tough nut to crack, an enigma, if you will, shrouded in a mystical cloud of mystery. My editor proved to me that when it comes to my musical tastes he has me all figured out. Case in point, the new self-titled EP by Razor Candy (Sensory Recordings). My editor said I would really dig the newly released profoundly immoral brainchild of Paul Wiley (Marilyn Manson, Deveraux) and Chad Cherry (The Last Vegas, The Claws) and he was not wrong. I may be a self-described metalhead, but I am also a self-described lover of musical ingenuity and raw talent, which Razor Candy not only possesses but showcases in an eloquently macabre way. The EP contains five tracks that are available in all streaming formats, but for you vinyl loving freaks (myself included) there is a bonus track included only on vinyl, how fanfreakingtastical is that?

The first track, ‘Parents Beware/Razors In The Candy’, has a unique back story. According to the press kit I received for this EP, The catalyst for this project was a chance meeting on Halloween night in 1983. Chad Cherry (vocals) and Paul Wiley (guitar) met in an emergency room in a Chicago hospital both suffering from mouth lacerations caused by razor blade laced Halloween candy, received stitches and formed a life long friendship. The track itself is a deliciously wicked morsel filled with infectious guitar hooks and a 1970’s retro feel. Chad Cherry’s vocals are sexy and playfully deviant with raspy innuendo tinged undertones. The overall composition of the song is ripe with beautifully vivid imagery.

Honestly, the entire EP is a perfect storm of delectably depraved, superbly composed music. Whether it is the guitar hook-laden sleazy Cock Rock gem, ‘Get out of Control’, or the tongue n cheek, ‘Follow and Like, Like and Follow’, with its Alice Cooper-ish vocals, this EP will not disappoint.

I continue to say that bands these days tend to take themselves to seriously and forget that creating music can be fun. It was honestly refreshing to review an album where the artists create something whimsical but dark and creepy with a tiny dash of perversion.

To go along with the release of the EP, Razor Candy unleashed the official video for their first single “Razors In The Candy.” The song tells a tale of kids wreaking havoc on Halloween while the old witch in the neighborhood hands out tainted candy laced with razor blades and cyanide. The video was filmed and directed by Brook Hubbs.

8 / 10

SKULLGURL METALCHICK