Salem Wolves The Psychotron Speaks cassette
Listen, I need to start off this review by saying that I am extremely impressed with the production and general care SALEM WOLVES put into this concept album, telling the story of a downtrodden pro wrestler who utilizes a magical device called The Psychotron to make all of his wildest dreams come true, ultimately leading to his own self-destruction (I think). It’s like Lord of the Rings, except instead of the Ring, it’s a Psychotron…whatever that may be. The band took it a step further and created a zine and trading cards that pair with this cassette to bring the story to levels that I can only describe as world-building. Musically, it sounds like if BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN was signed to Drive-Thru Records during their darker period in the late 2000s. As a fellow fan of pro wrestling, I was more than excited to dive into this release, and I would again like to reiterate that SALEM WOLVES have completed something that very few underground bands even dare to begin, let alone finish. But in the end, this release is slightly boring at best and, at worst, a slog to finish. It all feels flat, and nothing really ever kicks into second gear. The musicians are all clearly very talented, but I’ve listened to this album a handful of times now and nothing has grabbed me or left a lasting impression. There’s very little catchiness here, and while I understand that the storytelling is the most important part, you gotta give me a reason to want to come back. This may play well for those who value pageantry and theatrics in their music over anything else, and if that’s your thing, then I suggest you give this a listen.