Infectious Grooves
Groove Family Cyco

THE REVIEW

The Infectious Grooves are one of the side projects of Mike Muir, who primarily serves as the singer for Suicidal Tendencies, and his bandmate Robert Trujillo, now with Metallica. As often happens, the quality of albums born as alternative projects, created almost for fun, is very high, possibly because they are free from the excessive pressures of the music industry. And this album fully demonstrates this theory, as the previously tiring hardcore commitment of Suicidal Tendencies is completely revitalized here with a robust funk-punk in the style of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Peppers indeed seem to be the main inspiration for the band, as in the opening "Violent And Funky," which showcases a riff worthy of the best Hillel Slovak: it's impossible to stay still while listening!
Of course, they are not just a mere copycat group of the Peppers, unlike many that emerged in California during that period; in fact, they have a very personal sound and manage to combine, often within the same song, a wide range of genres: the emblem of this daring mix of genres is surely "Made It": starting off jazzy, shifting tempo with heavy-metal guitar riffs, and ending with jazz again! The hardcore origins of the leader are evident in the title track and in "Frustrated Again," but the sound is decidedly less threatening and more cheerful and fun!

Funk-rock for fiery parties, as George Clinton used to say: Free your mind and your ass will follow!
If you are fans of early RHCP (meaning before Frusciante progressively mellowed the band's sound), you will love this album!