### Shellfin: Secondhand family

#### 22/12/10 || revenant

Ok ok, I know what you are thinking: “Shellfin? Never heard of them. Quick, tell what style of music they play and whether they are any good so I know whether or not to continue reading this”. Well, I’ll oblige. Shellfin play stoner metal, and are fucking great at it. Are we happy now? Let’s continue then.

Shellfin’s debut album, “Secondhand Family” came as a bit of a shock when I first listened to it. I wasn’t expecting anything anywhere near as good as this. There is an obvious Kyuss influence present, which is always a good start to a great stoner album. They like to make long songs that take you on a journey, winding and drifting along, which is another aspect of the music I like, and rarely do they follow tradition song structures. The songs intertwine, making the album seem like one long and twisting song. For people who like to sit back and let an album roll over you, this is your ideal album.

Production wise this album hits the nail on the head. This album hits the musical G spot as far as I am concerned. Pitch and tone are perfect, though at times the vocals are a little off. They are a higher pitch than most stoner music, and at times sound electronically altered, but thankfully they don’t get in the way of the enjoyment of the album.

Lyrical wise, these guys had me wetting my shorts with laughter. “What’s that smell?” has, without a doubt, the best lyrics I’ve heard all year. A man, with a need, pays for a service from a young lass in the sex industry. But things soon go awry in this little adventure:

“What the hell’s going on here? This is not what I want. Get the fuck off my face, Cos bitch you weigh a ton And what the fuck is that smell?”

Which leads to an unfortunate discovery:

“Is this shit? IS THIS SHIT?”

The band have made a downloadable version of the album accessible at “name your own price” on their bandcamp page. Yes, that means you can give them nothing, or you can give them a million dollars. And don’t scoff at the suggestion of a million dollars, giving nothing is equally ludicrous. Hard working musicians deserve reward, particularly ones producing quality like this.

Shellfin is, to all intents, my find of the year. Infectious, heavy grooves intertwine, winding along to deliver what is simply great music. I can’t praise this band enough for this highly entertaining debut. This is the best Australian album I’ve heard this year. “Secondhand Family” is a great stoner record for anyone who likes to sit back and let an album roll over them, and one that I can’t recommend enough.

- Information
- Released: 2010
- Label: Independent
- Website: Shellfin MySpace
- Band
- Dyob: vocals
- Josh: guitars
- Mary Jane (in a stoner band? You’re fucking kidding me!): bass
- Geeks: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. The Extent of it
- 02. Cruzzin
- 03. In the Head
- 04. Short Spew
- 05. Hedgehog
- 06. Fleischgeist
- 07. What’s That Smell?
- 08. The Intervening Time