Sweaty Nipples

Bug Harvest (Megaforce)
by Joe Hacking

“If we told you how we got the name, we’d have to kill you.”
– Brian Lehfeldt, drummer

With a name like Sweaty Nipples, they’ve got to be good. It creates a built-in hurdle to success, and for the Nipples to have survived and prospered in their seven years of existence, there’s got be more to this band than a sense of the ribald.

Bug Harvest (Megaforce), their new release, combines the best ideas from progressive metal and mainstream into a seamless, refreshingly original sound. From the heavy industrial tracks on “Labrador” to the heavy metal/hard rock sensibility of “Demon Juice” and “Eye Tooth Magnet,” the Nipples have their sound down. Scott Heard’s vocals lie somewhere between ’80s metal and ’90s grunge. Ryan Moore’s guitar is cruel and moody. Brian Lehfeldt evokes Queensrÿche’s Scott Rockenfield at times, playing with the same intensely busy style. In the spirit of bands like Mr. Bungle and Scatterbrain, Sweaty Nipples sound more like talented children at play than “serious performers” at work. Similarly, in their live performance, I hear they switch instruments mid-song with no loss of performance quality. This I’d like to see.

With a name like Sweaty Nipples, you need not worry about hearing a sold-out product.