Review: “Your Herbs And Spices Won’t Save You Now” by Yeah, Sick!

“We leaned hard into the weirdness this time. It’s heavy, it’s ridiculous, and somehow it all makes sense.” ~ Dazz Powell

A recreation of the cover art of “Vulgar Display Of Power” by Pantera that depicts Colonel Sanders, the American entrepreneur and founder of chain Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC getting knocked the f*** out by what appears to be the flying fist of Ronald McDonald, the infamous mascot of fast food rival McDonald’s should have you wanting to check out “Your Herbs And Spices Won’t Save You Now” almost immediately. The record is the second from Australians Yeah, Sick! who burst out of the pandemic in 2022 with debut album “Set To Devour Us All!” as a side project of Fall And Resist members Benito Martino of drums and Liam “Frosty” Frost-Camilleri on vocals. The pair are both seasoned veterans of many a project and this time out are joined by bassist Dazz Powell as a power trio who like to fuse Hardcore Punk energy with Groove Metal swagger and a sense of humour.

You could be forgiven for thinking that opening cut “A Hold Of Me” could be about the addictive qualities of the seasonings that go into KFC or fast food in general but instead Frosty rants and raves about how music has got his soul in a vice grip. Gang chants enhance the fierce harsh vocals with an almost whispered moment in the final third that is a nice touch. Sonically the band attack with wave after wave of crushing rhythms, the bass being the prominent instrument given the lack of guitars. That gives the band a sound like early Mudvayne or Chimp Spanner because Powell’s performance is electric, treating the instrument as a lead guitarist would do and delivering the kind of complexities you might expect from a Tech-Metal bassist but with the freedom of furious Punk Rock if that makes sense. There is a melancholia to “A Trolley Out The Front” with death growls and clean clean sung moments as Frosty muses in socially aware fashion about the degeneration of life he sees around him as people struggle to make ends meet. Rolling up their sleeves and taking a more Death Metal direction “Yes, My Gatekeeper” gets bombastic with the bass, slapping hard while demonstrating that atmosphere is possible despite the stripped back nature of the bands sound. The result is powerful and poignant with no room for error as there is absolutely no place to hide. Dialing up the intensity “Fast Feud” roars out of the gate before slowing in menacing and sinister fashion. The lyrical title track, this one has plenty of mosh parts as well as a sick sense of humour that will have you cracking a smile as Ronald McDonald gets violent with Colonel Sanders. No spoilers. There is however room for a McFlurry after that treat because desserts go to a separate stomach and “#SOFRAGILE” gets wild with funky bass tones, rap screams and unhinged moments as we go back to 1999 for a little nostalgia trip. A lively cocktail that has a shot of satire and a shot of sincerity before being mixed with a big heart, this is the kind of record that given a couple of spins becomes a guilty pleasure [7/10]

Track Listing

1. A Hold Of Me
2. A Trolley Out The Front
3. Yes, My Gatekeeper
4. Fast Feud
5. #SOFRAGILE

“Your Herbs And Spices Won’t Save You Now” by Yeah, Sick! is out 23rd November 2025