Album Details

• Artist: Cyko Miko
• Album: The Mad Mad Muir Musical Tour
• Label: Suicidal Records
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2011-10-18

Old punks never die...well, some of them do, some fade away and some keep going. Mike Muir is one of those punks who has not only kept on going, but has not lost much in terms of power and cred. The former frontman for the legendary Suicidal Tendencies has gone all out here, producing some of the best music of his career, updating old sounds and keying into new ones.  "The Mad Mad Muir Musical Tour" is just that: a powerful, eclectic trip through what Muir has been feeling and listening to recently. And he has a lot to say about it all.

Though long known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, here he is even more emotionally generous. The hard funk of "Got Feelings?" and the mostly acoustic ballad "Alone" are as haunting and raw a revelation as Muir has given us. The mid-tempo "Logical Thoughts of a Lunatic" is a strong, Chili Peppers-esque story-song, with a soulful organ anchoring the testimony.

Other hightlights run from the thrashy ("All The Way") to classic hardcore of "Full of It" to a trio of heavy funk songs, the most epic being "Hang On "The Fight Song)." The closer of this fourteen song set, "Soulvation," is a classic Latin-tinged dance tune with bite, a heavy bass and abrasive guitar the connections to Muir's past.

Mike Muir means a lot in the history of hardcore and he has never been shy about putting himself among his fans as just a regular guy with a lot to say and the balls to say it. Call him Cyko Miko now if you must, but call , "The Mad Mad Muir Musical Tour" a surprising, deft, intense record that showcases some major songwriting chops and the willingness to work in multiple genres. Mike Muir is still with us, so all is well.

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