Stick to Rock n’ Roll. No ’80s Electronic, Please.

Boss Hog of New York City have made their return after a 16-year hiatus! That’s quite a break, and their new EP Brood Star is a rock n’ roll fuzzy feat in preparation for the entire Brood X album that will be released later this year.

“Wichita Grey” starts things off in a gritty, sexual blend of distortion and electric guitar badass-dom. “You want it, you got it. You got it, you want it” drives along in a repetitive melodic chant, while the distorted vocals bring a hot and bothered texture.

“Nymph Beat” then arrives with some electronic and drum combinations, along with a horn overlay. “That’s when you least expect it,” the vocals come in with some bleepy horns and distorted electro-fuzz. “You wanna play that game with me,” then enters in a menacing tone before “Or are you gonna dance?” finishes off the question and leads to a siren screech and thick dance beat heavy with electric guitar strums.

“Devious Motherfucker” takes the menace to a whole new, weird level with some groovy, wiggly bass strums, outer space sound effects and random yowls. The tune stays consistent with the drum beat foundation, while the weirdness builds on top in a ’80s reminiscent explosion. The layers include more distorted vocals, electronic bleeps and some sort of siren screech. It definitely is weird, but it’s not innovative. These sounds were alive back before the Boss Hog hiatus even began and, though they’re new to the band mix, they aren’t at all original. They aren’t even exciting. They’re kind of annoying, and not in a mind-stimulating sort of way, either. Their steamy, sensual hard rock is a million times better than this electronic madness.

“Disgrace” takes things back to the rock sphere, thankfully. “You’re wasting my time, wasting my space,” the lyrics scream in that classic distorted fashion while the guitar wails on. Some solo flares make their way in over the heavy bass line, while the drums stay on tap. “You’re a fucking disgrace,” the angry vocals shout, before switching up rhythms and adding in some subtle synth elements that are not at all reminiscent of the ’80s (thank God). Those raw instruments and heavy, gritty vocals are what Boss Hog needs to focus on. That’s where they shine in a good old angsty punk rock fashion.