Slik Toxik’s “Doin’ the Nasty” Turns 30!

I graduated from high school in 1992.  1992 was a weird year for hard rock/metal. Things were starting to change. Bands like Warrant, Faster Pussycat, and even Motley Crue, who were riding high, were suddenly beginning to see the end of the road after experiencing various degrees of success. These bands even started trying to change their music and images to maintain some relevancy, but instead, it backfired on them all, lacking any sincerity.

Some great bands were releasing some great music on the hard rock/sleaze scene, but the timing couldn’t have been worse for these bands. Rhino Bucket, Edan, and a band from Canada called Slik Toxik would prove that while this genre of music may have been on its way out, there was still a strong pulse before closing out an era.

Slik Toxik’s debut album, Doin’ the Nasty (I know, that title, right?) first popped up on my radar after seeing the video for their debut single “Helluvatime” on Headbanger’s Ball. So when I heard and saw this band, my first thought was, “Whoa. This band is bad to the fucking bone.” It’s like Skid Row; only they know a bunch of way better chords. Also, they seemed to know their shit as musicians.

Luck would have it that Slik Toxik would be pulling into Atlanta as direct support for Faster Pussycat, who was supporting the worst album they could possibly make, Whipped. Slik Toxik took the stage with a drumkit as big as the venue itself and opened with the song “Crashed.” I was floored by the band’s musicianship, stage presence, and skill at crafting their songs. I couldn’t wait to pick up the album, so the next day, I went and purchased the CD, and it became a favorite album of mine which still holds up 30 years later.

To me, the highlight of Doin’ the Nasty is the song “It’s Not Easy.” Good fucking god, what a song. Slide guitar, over-the-top drums, and a breakdown middle section that had the most insane guitar solo and funk slap bass I’d ever heard in a metal song. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard slap bass in a metal song, so it was badass. The rest of the album was chockful of fun, sleazy songs such as “Sweet Asylum,” “Big Fuckin’ Deal,” and “Marionette.” The album closes with an instrumental called “Rachel’s Dead,” which I even stole the title of for my 1992-1994 punk/metal band.

As a whole, Doin’ the Nasty is a perfect sleaze metal album. The songs are perfectly executed and dynamic so that many of their peers’ songs weren’t. The songs have lots of great changes, great hooks, and vocals that are over the top, gritty, gnarly, and distinct. In a nutshell, Slik Toxik was its own band. They didn’t sound like anyone else on the scene at the time, and it was exciting to hear a band put so much into an album instead of playing it safe.

Slik Toxik was a band that was just a bit too late. Had this album come out around ’90 or so, I honestly believe they could have given Skid Row a serious run for their money. They could have been huge with the proper promotion and backing from their label. Well, they didn’t get that chance, but they made an album that 30 years later sounds as good, if not better, than it did in ’92. It’s still a fun listen, and it’s an album that will continue to age gracefully and always be a “go-to” album for me.

Happy Anniversary, Doin’ the Nasty! 30 looks good on ya!

About The Author

Don

I have been running this blog since 2009. AKA as the Great Southern Brainfart, Southeast of Heaven is my baby now and forever. I’ve had my ups and downs with bands over the years but they are all great experiences and memories. My Swedish friend Charlie said once, “Don is known for being one of the meanest bastards in American rock journalism.” It’s nice to be loved.

I also once took a shit in Anthrax’s dressing room toilet and didn’t flush.

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