UMUR
Groove Family Cyco is the 3rd full-length studio album by American funk metal/ thrash metal act Infectious Grooves. The album was released in March 1994 by 550 Music. Infectious Grooves is a side-project by members of Suicidal Tendencies. The band was formed in 1989 when bassist Robert Trujillo joined Suicidal Tendencies. His funky slap-bass playing style was already occasionally heard on Lights... Camera... Revolution (1990) by Suicidal Tendencies, but I guess vocalist Mike Muir and Robert Trujillo wanted to take the funky element a step further outside the confines of Suicidal Tendencies and that´s when they created Infectious Grooves. The other members of the lineup for this album is Dean Pleasants ( guitar, Adam Siegel ( guitar) and Brooks Wackerman ( drums).
The music on the album is a combination of alternative funky heavy metal and the occassional thrash metal part. Mike Muir´s vocal style is instantly recognisable and while the music is pretty different from Suicidal Tendencies, it´s hard not to think of that band because of the vocals. All songs are more or less enjoyable but few are really excellent IMO. It´s the playing on the album that I´m most impressed by. Especially some of Robert Trujillo´s basslines really sound impressive. The man is very skilled. The other musicians also deliver some really sharp and funky playing. It´s when the band mix some harder edged thrash metal parts into their funky metal that I find them most enjoyable though but unfortunately that happens too seldom.
The production is clean and powerful.
Groove Family Cyco is the kind of album I take out on occassion when I´m in the mood for this type of music and while I know some people ( Especially bassists) are really hooked on Infectious Grooves, they were always just the odd Suicidal Tendencies side-project to me. So overall Groove Family Cyco is an enjoyable album that deserves a 3 - 3.5 star rating.