Review by Kyle Opie, MusicSA / Bside Magazine
5/5
The members of Satan's Cheerleaders are a highly skilled bunch, being part of other jazz and progressive groups around Adelaide and beyond. 'The New Adventures Of' is their second release since the group’s inception in 2005.

The music of this album has a very unique stylistic characteristic that keeps you on your toes; each track presents its own journey. You may face a track that seamlessly moves from heavy, fast unison passages, to slow emotive saxophone melodies, to punk influenced vocal lead sections, or it might be a quaint, piano-led, jazz piece. The setting of each piece is appropriate, nonetheless, the stylistic diversity isn't erratic to the point that it seems inappropriate, and thematic elements tie everything together.

The quirky country jazz closing track, complete with vibraphone and an a cappella section, 'spooning on a spoon', outlines the general aesthetic of the groups’ approach. Despite plenty of considerably heavy and dark moments, they clearly have a lot of fun with what they do, too. This album ticks all the boxes, more than adequately covering elements of variety, innovation, musicality, musicianship, humour, top notch production, attention to detail and more. It has it all.

www.musicsa.com.au/articles/reviews/2014/satanscheerleaders.aspx


Review by Andrew Handley, Rip It Up Magazine
4/5
Taking their name from a 1977 B-grade horror flick they found in a bargain bin, Adelaide’s Satan’s Cheerleaders aren’t your average band, and neither is their music. In their second album The New Adventures Of Satan’s Cheerleaders, they play metal, rock, jazz and pop, sometimes all in the same song. The tempo changes from the four piece are fast and furious, showing off some serious musical chops.

The use of saxophone in their music, and turn on a dime genre and tempo changes, makes it easy to draw similarities between Satan’s Cheerleaders and cult bands like John Zorn’s Naked City, Secret Chiefs 3 and Mr Bungle, all obvious influences on the band. Even the retro futuristic underwater artwork on The New Adventures Of has similarities to the artwork on Mr Bungle’s Disco Volante. While wearing their influences on their sleeve, Satan’s Cheerleaders have chosen to be far more accessible, with the new record scattered with catchy guitar riffs and vocal parts.

Kingpin sets the mood of the album, opening with a blast of instruments, which turns to doo-wop complete with back up vocals, only to be blasted away before the listener can get settled. Something Stupid has the most conventional song structure on the album, with the catchy vocals and sax making for a nightmarish pop song. Anonymous throws convention out the window, jumping from genre to genre while still sounding whole thanks to the driving sax. Jazz and metal compete in the album’s centrepiece Jack Rabbit Part 1 and 2, with a fitting duelling saxophone crescendo.

If you enjoy experimental rock or jazz, The New Adventures Of is a no-brainer, but it’s also a perfect starting point to push musical tastes. It never pushes it’s weirdness or heaviness to extremes, and the vocals are clean and well sung. Satan’s Cheerleaders have found the perfect balance of experimentation and accessibility, while demonstrating stunning musicianship without being wanky about it.

www.ripitup.com.au/music/article/satans-cheerleaders-the-new-adventures-of