Mucky Pup

New Jersey comedic hardcore metallists Mucky Pup laid groundwork for later juvenile outfits such as the Bloodhound Gang, evident in tracks like “Death by Cholesterol,” “Hippies Hate Water,” and “She Quieffed.” The quartet came together in the mid-’80s when guitarist Dan Nastasi, drummer John Milnes, vocalist Chris Milnes, and bassist Scott LePage began playing frequent regional gigs and circulating a pair of well-received demo tapes. Those recordings secured a contract with the independent Torrid imprint, under which the band released a string of albums across nearly a decade: Can’t You Take a Joke? in 1987, A Boy in a Man’s World in 1989, Now in 1991, Act of Faith in 1992, Lemonade in 1993, the live set Alive and Well in 1995, and Five Guys in a Really Hot Garage in 1996. Although Mucky Pup remained confined to the metal and hardcore underground stateside, the group found considerably wider acceptance across Europe. By the close of the ’90s the original lineup had disbanded; Nastasi, who had already departed several years earlier, went on to modest success with the similarly styled Dog Eat Dog. In February 2000 the band reconvened for a single performance in New Jersey.