Silly Killers
S/T 7" EP
By Justin Vinson
(SugarBuzz Tacoma )
Group Photo By Emily Riewan
With the inclusion of "Knife Manual" on Killed By Death compilation #12 and the fact that Michael "Duff" McKagan (who was in Guns N Roses and, most recently, Velvet Revolver) once was a member, there has been a surge of interest in the Silly Killers.
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, the Silly Killers were one of the earliest punk bands to emerge from the depths of the Emerald City. In the summer of 1982, the Silly Killers, along with the Fartz and the Wad Squad, were part of the very first punk show held in Tacoma. The show, held in a basement, didn’t quite end as planned however. As Bon Von Wheelie, drummer for the garage-punk band Girl Trouble, recalls, “The show was amazing until about ten Tacoma policemen in full riot squad attire came marching down the stairs. They were sure that it was a riot, not a rock show”. The police’s arrival marked the end of the show, but the very beginning of what is now Tacoma’s vibrant punk scene.
In that same year, the Silly Killers released their one and only 7" on legendary Seattle label, “No Threes Records”. The label which was responsible for releasing the Vains’ self-titled EP two years prior as well as the Accident’s “Kill The Bee Gees” 7" (the first pressing of which recently fetched $425 at auction). Due to the fact that they only released one EP, the Silly Killers are often overlooked in favor of their more popular peers including the Lewd, Girl Trouble, and the Fartz. Although as countless obscure 7"’s have attested, quality doesn't require quantity.
The Silly Killers 7" had a sound unlike anything else produced at the time it was released. Despite being firmly rooted in the late 70's and early 80's style of punk rock (now often referred to as Killed-By-Death-style punk), the Silly Killers managed to spice things up with some hardcore elements that can be heard most directly throughout the duration of “Social Bitch” and during the sped up chorus in “Not That Time Again”. One could even claim that a faint surf influence can be heard the opening riff of “Not That Time Again”.
The two songs not yet mentioned, “Knife Manual” and “Sissie Faggots”, are, for the most part, just as good as the others. Sounding agitated, snotty, and slightly melodic, all at once, the vocals in “Knife Manual” are the best out of all four songs. The very last song, “Sissie Faggots” does not stand out as being a bad song, but it does not distinguish itself as being better than the others either.
Without a doubt, the two killer tracks are “Knife Manual” and “Social Bitch”. Perhaps the best label for the Silly Killers would be proto-hardcore. The EP is a ripper, bits of hardcore and surf-influenced rock all glued together with catchy, snotty punk.
In 1992, Empty Records released a split 7" with Gas Huffer’s cover of “Knife Manual” on the b-side (the a-side featured Mudhoney’s take on the Angry Samoans’ “You Stupid Asshole”). Sadly, this is as close to a re-issue of the EP as one will get. With all the interest that many of the bands featured on the Killed By Death compilations have received recently, it’s likely that the Silly Killers will get the attention they deserve eventually. One thing’s for certain, the sooner the better.