Dig up the sleaze

By Stewart Dowouis

'80s sleaze rock is so far removed in just about every way from modern popular culture that it almost feels insane to 

highlight a new release from a band like Dangerous Toys today. Yet here we are. Demolition, the band’s newly released collection of previously unreleased demos, is so much fun that I absolutely gotta talk about it. Think of this as more of an archaeological dig through the ruins of a lost civilization than a record review if that makes for a more comfortable read.

It really wasn’t THAT long ago in the grand scheme of things that Dangerous Toys…Texas’ raunchy answer to Guns n Roses…was bringing home hit singles, a gold record and being sandwiched in prime time on MTV between Bon Jovi and Paula Abdul videos. I’m sure many of you now reading this remember this era like it was yesterday. We all know, of course, how things played out for “hair” bands…and party music in general…once the early 90s rolled in, so no need to bore you with those details. I bring it up simply for perspective. It was during this period…‘91 to ‘93…as the Alternative revolution was taking over the universe, that the material found on Demolition was recorded. 

Looking for something to do during the endless Covid lockdowns, singer Jason McMaster dug up and digitized several songs written between Dangerous Toys’ second and third albums from dusty cassettes that never saw the light of day. The resulting audio quality of this material…as expected…is pretty rough at times. These are, after all, economically recorded demos recovered from decades old forgotten Memorex tapes. But the songs themselves…wow. Even in the demo stages, you can tell this material would have been monstrous had it been given the full financial backing of a major label and a big-name producer’s editing. 

Nine of the ten included tracks are pure hard-drivin’ rockers that feature all of the classic Dangerous Toys elements that fans of the band will instantly identify. Their signature sexually over-the-top lyrics even show up for comic relief in the song “Your Sister”, a true artifact from a very different time. Here in today’s cultural climate, outrageously sexualized stuff like this feels even more rebellious and otherworldly...like an even bigger middle finger to convention. Don’t tell the internet. This ain’t safe Indie Rock.

The one low point on the record, an acoustic ballad titled “Burning Bridges”, feels a little half-baked and was likely only in its very early stages when it was put to tape. Still, however, it serves as a nice breather on an otherwise insane collection of rowdy rock songs.

If you’re still with me and appreciated Dangerous Toys as much as I did, check it out ASAP. Demolition is for the fans. Yes, a vinyl pressing of material of such rough audio quality seems a little strange on the surface, but the songs…INFECTIOUS! A necessary historical document. 

Oh…and the cover illustration of Bill Z. Bibb is fantastic as well. The whole thing is just an all-around good time. This is the record we should have gotten after Hellacious Acres.