Psychostick

Hailing originally from Arizona yet headquartered in Chicago, the comedy metal outfit Psychostick fuses parody with crushing riffs in a style positioned between Weird Al Yankovic and Pantera. Self-styled practitioners of humorcore, the band surfaced in 2003 via the album We Couldn't Think of a Title, delivering an explosive mixture of clever lyrics, funk grooves, and nu-metal heft that echoed Green Jelly, Mr. Bungle, and Tenacious D. Viral videos, a hands-on D.I.Y. approach, and wildly theatrical stage productions packed with props quickly turned them into a cult favorite, while later releases such as Space Vampires vs. Zombie Dinosaurs in 3D in 2011 and Do in 2018 expanded their reach without altering their independent stance or offbeat comedic perspective.

Co-founder Josh “The J” Key had previously performed in a project called Asinine, whose run ended abruptly when its vocalist relocated from Texas to Arizona’s drier climate. Joined by Rob “Rawrb” Kersey, Key launched a fresh group that placed the former Asinine singer on guitar and elevated Rawrb to lead vocals; bassist Hunter Alexander and drummer Alex “Shmalex” Preiss completed the lineup, which tracked its debut demo, Don’t Bitch, It’s Free, in September 2000. Psychostick’s first live performance occurred the next year, followed roughly six months later by the second demo, Die…A Lot! Their busiest period concluded on a somber note when Hunter Alexander departed, soon succeeded on bass by Mike “MiketheEvil” Kocian. An intensive schedule of shows ensued, culminating in the May 2003 release of their debut full-length, We Couldn't Think of a Title. Although momentum was building, Kocian paused to complete college, limiting the band to sporadic gigs until he rejoined; during the interim, guitarist Vince “V” Johansen became a fifth member. By 2005 the group resumed full-time activity, embarking on a nationwide tour in 2006 that also saw Johansen exit and Jake “Jakermeister” McReynolds step in. Popularity continued to climb, leading to the 2007 album Flesh Eating Rollerskate Holiday Joy, which reached the Top 20 on Billboard’s holiday charts, though Kocian left afterward. Indorphine’s Jimmy “Jimmychanga” Grant took over bass and vocals while McReynolds shifted to rhythm guitar, both appearing on the 2009 release Sandwich before departing the following year. Matty J “Moose” Rzemyk replaced Grant on bass for 2011’s Space Vampires vs. Zombie Dinosaurs in 3D. A 2013 crowdfunding drive financed construction of the band’s own studio, enabling the 2014 album IV: Revenge of the Vengeance. Dedicated to the memory of Urizen bassist Rustin Luther, who died of a brain tumor in 2017, the fifth studio album Do arrived in 2018 and debuted at number one on the Billboard Comedy Albums chart.