Sumo Cyco: Lost In Cyco City

Canadian punk metallers leave a lot of room for doubt

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If you’re one of those people who wished No Doubt were a bit heavier then… well… no one ever knew you existed. But you must do, because Sumo Cyco have formed with the sole intention of bringing your very specific and unusual wish to life.

After all, Gwen Stefani and co always knew how to pen a great, if a little fluffy, pop gem, so taking their blueprint and making it a bit more muscular for fans of heavier music makes sense. A shame, then, that this is mostly made up of pedestrian riffs and rehashed ideas, with vocalist Skye Sweetnam’s best karaoke Stefani impression.

In fact you’d go a long way to find a more grating and annoying vocal performance on an album this year. Disastrously, painfully unoriginal and with a curled lip snarl that make her pronounce words like ‘fire’ as ‘FY-HER’ she sounds as organic as the contents of a bottle of Fanta.

Ever wish No Doubt were heavier? You’ll be glad they aren’t when you hear Lost In Cyco City./o:p

Stephen joined the Louder team as a co-host of the Metal Hammer Podcast in late 2021, eventually becoming a regular contributor to the magazine. He has since written hundreds of articles for Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Louder, specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal. He also presents the Trve. Cvlt. Pop! podcast with Gaz Jones and makes regular appearances on the Bangers And Most podcast.