Slik Helvetika? I have to admit, when I first saw that name I thought it was going to be a font, seriously. You know, not arial but, you guessed it, helvetica. It is not a font that I use, but that was the immediate connection I made. I had no idea it was the name of a Philadelphia based heavy metal act until I this CD arrived in my mailbox.
I remember hearing about a film called Helvetica, which chronicles typography and graphic design. It was released earlier this year to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the typeface; again, no reference to a metal band. So where did this name come from? I have no idea, nor could I find any reasoning on their website. In the long run it doesn't matter much. If we spent the time researching the origins of band names we would have that much less time to enjoy the music, or dismiss it and move on to something else.
Now, back to the band at hand. Slik Helvetika is the latest project of Destroyer's Mikhail Meyers, and it is pure 1980's era metal. If you are into the old school metal, along the lines of Judas Priest, Accept, and Overkill, Slik Helvetika may be worth spending some time with. It is nothing groundbreaking and will never be considered among the classics, but there is something about it that makes it worth your time. Slik Helvetika delivers solid music with some catchy riffs, good production values, and a sound that is probably great live.
Krypt Kickers 5 is a brief five song EP, extended by interludes/intros between nearly every song. The first is the intro "Fine Dining," which sounds like a cross between an old Hammer horror film and something that used to kick off a late night 80's metal radio show. The final line of said intro is what seals the deal: "You know I only dine on tasty f***ing metal!"
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