THE PHENOMS come barreling out of Chicago like a boulder falling off the top of a mountain. If you don't move, they will flatten you. Following in the footsteps of the Chicago greats, THE PHENOMS are the most powerful band to ever crash out of the Chicago scene. Imagine a very large man pulling your head through a plate glass window and yelling into your face, as if possessed by Lemmy from Motorhead himself.. This is full on, revved up, get-the-fuck-outta-my-way Rock and roll, for bad-asses everywhere. - Criminal IQ
These locals have been together for nearly four years, and they've become one of the best live muscle-car punk bands in the city. Improving on their 2002 debut, the new Home Brain Surgery Kit (Beercan) is thick, tight, nimble, and surprisingly complex for a band that specializes in shit-kicking. - Monica Kendrick, Chicago Reader
"Home Brain Surgery Kit" doesn't really strive to reinvent rock `n' roll, but it's a high-octane, bloody take on the three-chords-and-a-cloud-of-dust theory. The combination of blustery guitar fuzz, dime-turning riffs and sing-scream vocals recalls most directly Texas' punk-rock band Sugarshack, but injected with a very 2005 punch in the stomach. The band's choice of covers has improved from its first record (last time around, The Sonics; this time around, ZZ Top's "Heard it on the X"), and the eleven songs track in at just a little under a half-hour. The record's second-to-last song, "Erik's New Blues," gurgles and rumbles like a something the New Bomb Turks might have spat out, but there's a great rhythm and chorus release that comes off like a nuclear bomb. Quality rock `n' roll. – Dave Chamberlain, New City
On Home Brain Surgery, its first for Premium Beercan Records, the Phenoms deliver a relentless assault one might imagine would occur if the Stooges battled Guitar Wolf onstage. It's a frenzy that few bands can reach, let alone propel across an entire album. The album opening Mutual Mystification grinds like Motorhead for 30 seconds before breaking into a stop-start hook worthy of a heart attack. Across the psychotic first side, the two guitarists layer barely-tuned, double solos underneath singer John O'Halloran's Danzig-inspired yelp. O'Halloran's reflective lyrics center on down-to-earth laments and self-deprecating pleas for understanding. Sheer garage rock couldn't evolve this far, emo couldn't sack-up and yell this loud. Thanks for the lyric sheet, boys. - Leonard Coomer, Groupeez Magazine
Hard, fast, beer-drinking rock and roll rules at The Phenoms pad. You can almost see the liquid flying through the air and the foam spilling across the floor when you give these guys a spin. You'll hear some rapid-fire guitar riffs should leave you sore in the morning and just a tasteful dash of whoa-ah-ohs. At a live show, you could maybe see yourself getting a little out of control and doing something that could get you into a little bit of trouble the next day. You know what I'm talking about. Oh man it sounds like fun. - Odyssey Zine
You can be sure of one thing, that if rock-n-roll is the music of the devil the Phemons must have a special place on the play list for lucifer, even higher than the one where marylin manson is. - In Your Eyes Zine
Chicago's premier mayhem-rockers return with their second full length of hyperactive garage-y punked up rock and roll. Every song is at break neck speed, they've upped the ante on bands of this ilk big time. Reminiscent of a Stooges record played at 45rpm. The one thing I must mention, out of sheer awe is that this whole album was recorded in one take, not at seperate times, mind you....in one sitting! - Redline Distribution
The Phenoms, in just 28 minutes, deliver some of the finest, most in your face garage punk ever! They're moving into the punk rock world and are making sure to take the doors when they leave (hopefully not anytime soon). "Home Brain Surgery Kit" is a prime example of how to deliver high-speed, earsplitting, unhinged rock n' roll and have fun doing it. You hear the simplicity of The Ramones, but I think a more complicated monster is lurking below. By wrapping blues songs with distorted guitars they've morphed into something of a punk rock ZZ Top. Their cover of "I Heard It On The X" is too good. These Chicago boys kick your ass. Check it out, you'll understand. - Independents Only
So many bands are afraid of The Rock. they won't let it be just that simple. There has to be some sort of outside influence. Then there are the traditionalists, those who make no apologies for walking a well-tread path, but with their own defined steps. This is where The Phenoms come in. Straight-forward, no frills rock 'n' roll. No apology, and no reason for one. It's just plain old rock 'n' roll, but they make every song their own, and they do it well, which is why they have chances to share the stage with bands ranging from Pegboy, The New Bomb Turks, and Guitar Wolf to Link Wray. - Megan - Razorcake
With some bands, it's all about the live show. For them, what blows minds on a stage just has problems translating to a little plastic disc. Such was the case with Chicago based group, the Phenoms. "Was" being the operative word.
In 2004, I asked the band to come in and play live on my old radio show. I had seen the band play several times around Chicago and knew that they could throw down a mean live set, but was a bit skeptic since I was less than impressed with their recently released album. If any band was worthy of the "you've got to see them live" award, it would have been them. Expectations wavering, the band came in and threw down one of the best performances the show saw in its 200+ performance history. I like to think that the experience of coming into the setting and being forced to belt out the songs in succession, no re-do's, no overdubs, laid the impetus for the band's newest record, Home Brain Surgery Kit.
The 12 tracks on the album are a sweatless example of the band's bombastic live show. Why? Well, it was recorded just as the radio show was. Set up the instruments, get some sounds, set a mix, start the tape and stop it 29 minutes later. Mix it a bit and an album is created. This no frills approach is also the best way to accurately get a feel for what the band is capable of. Not particularly amazing musicians, the band's allure is in its energy. The way they attack the music as creators makes you want to attack with the same ferocity as a listener. The resulting ebb and flow elevates the songs and just keeps pushing both sides harder and harder. Aside from catching the band live sometime in Chicago, you won't get a better example of the energy the Phenoms possess anywhere other than Home Brain Surgery Kit. - Love Has No Logic
The Phenoms, you say? Well, playing fast, trashy belch n’ roll doesn’t really count as a ‘phenomenon’ in the same way as say, crop circles or the Spice Girls do, but let’s give it to ‘em anyway, since it rolls off the tongue nicely, just like a well-timed insult, or a drunken come-on. These Chicago-based bruisers play the same kinda punk-fueled, gasoline guzzlin’, teenage flophouse garage rawk as fellow Chi-town panty raiders the Powerknobs, only without the 60’s medallion-rock hangover, and with a whole fatty liver’s worth of angry, backed-up bile. The geetars are on such a pussy posse overdrive that you’d figure the whole album to be a fast, fucked, and furious ode to their dicks, but on closer inspection (i.e. I looked at the lyrics in the booklet), songs like “Cross Section”, “Part of the Deal”, and “Sure to Come” are all pretty serious and kinda bummed-out, thematically speaking. Luckily, they all sound like a big wet dog ruining the furniture, so who’s gonna notice? If you dig say, the Misfits AND the Sonics, and don’t mind the occasional hand-wringing sob-session, then check these flailers out. - Sleazegrinder
I've probably said it before, but I'll say it again: The Phenoms epitomize the city of Chicago. The way you might describe Chicago is the way you might describe the Phenoms' music: tough-as-nails, blue collar, and not to be fucked with. This years Bear's played smashmouth football, and the Phenoms play smashmouth punk rock - nothing fancy, no finesse, just pure power, ferocity, and blood and guts fortitude. Their latest CD, Home Brain Surgery Kit, is a wall-to-wall pummel-fest that'll be way too much for the faint of heart to take. Those not fond of bone-jarring riffs, smoldering leads, mean-dude vocals, and breakneck drumming are advised to steer clear of this runaway train.
Fans of old Chicago hardcore, barroom garage-punk a la Zeke/New Bomb Turks, blazing Motorhead thrash, or any combination of the three will groove to the Phenoms' onslaught. The group offers up no surprises or innovations. They just put the pedal to the metal and let her rip, and they are the rare band that can actually pull off that type of approach. Rumor has it that "Mutual Mystification" has awakened the comatose on more than one occasion. - Now Wave Magazine
Old school Eddie Cochran style rock ’n’ roll played by dudes who were weaned on hardcore. This pretty much translates to the MC5 on an even more high energy freakout. - Punk Planet
There’s something endearing about this CD. Maybe it’s the name of the album - ‘Home brain surgery kit’. Maybe it’s the 1 colour, deliberately lo-fi cover. Maybe it’s the straight up punk rock that the Phenoms produce. Maybe it’s a combination of all of the above. Whatever, I like it.
This band are a band who are something akin to a Lookout Records band from the mid nineties, if that band had borrowed Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s fuzz boxes. They call themselves a garage band - maybe that does them justice, maybe not. Garage ethics and pop-punk sensibilities I reckon does them more service.
American underground bands don’t mind their way into my review pile too often, after all, we are a long fucking way away and flights/tours to Europe from America aren’t any cheaper than flights/tours to the US from here (funny that, eh?), so this album is a welcome change for me. I also took a pretty big liking to the fact that their website shuns a biog, and instead is just a big gallery of flyers for past shows, done in true NOFX stylee…
It isn’t rocket science, but it certainly isn’t shit. Go check out the site if you have a spare moment or 2. You might not catch this lot live any time soon, but it’s better than wasting your time checking out myspace bands who added you last night. - Europunk
On Home Brain Surgery Kit , the Phenoms channel Nine Pound Hammer on "Please, Please, Please Don't" and slamdance ZZ Top on "Heard It On the X." Otherwise the Chicago quintet plays simple, raw punk & roll with clever titles like "Unfettered and Bettered," "Mutual Mystification" and "The Fringe Benefits of Being On the Fringes of a Fringe Society." Sure, there are a ton of bands plowing this particular furrow, but few attack their tunes with the relish of the Phenoms. In this milieu, enthusiasm counts for a lot, and the Phenoms sho' do love them some rock & roll. - Michael Toland - High Bias
Awesome, rowdy, beer-soaked Zeke-ish punk n' roll. They explode all the way through, and the buzzsaw guitars, vox & background vox will remind you pleasantly of Motorhead. This is big, burly, hairy punk rock and you're now its bitch. - Read Mag
Generally, I love psychobilly bands or any punk band that incorporates rockabilly into their sound, so I tried to like this. I really did. Unfortunately, I failed, because this album sucks. Every song sounds the same (and most of them start with the same lame guitar feedback) and it doesn't even sound like the band members are playing in time with each other. It's a mess of poor-sounding instruments and ordinary psychobilly vocals that are so mediocre that they started to bug me very quickly. I hope that when I'm on my deathbed, this band will somehow tack 28 minutes and 35 seconds onto my life to make up for the time I wasted listening to their record. - Some fucker