Jim Breuer Brings The Dad Metal Hard (Album Review)

Is Dad Metal a thing? If not it is now. And while I certainly want full credit for the moniker, it’s comedian Jim Breuer who created the need for one. Produced by Rob Caggiano, Jim Breuer and the Loud & Rowdy’s new album Songs From The Garage is filled with tales of a suburban dad looking through an old box of concert t-shirts wondering what happened to the guy he was in high school.  If you were a high school jock whose now married with kids, working 9-5 and occasionally wondering “what if?” then you have Bruce Springsteen‘s song “Glory Days”. But if you were the kid in high school more likely to be found hanging from your ankles over a keg than fielding grounders at baseball practice, you have a friend in Jim Breuer and an album full of songs about clutching to those moments you get away from your family. Closing the garage door and cranking the thrash.

I’m not sure the songs would be very funny if you aren’t married with children and secretly sneak away to blast metal into a pair of headphones. But as someone who has largely spent his life putting himself first, even I found quite a bit of the humor to be relatable. The opening lyric to the opening song “Thrash” sets the tone for the entire record.

“I love when nobodies home.  I can’t wait to be alone.”

“The wife gave a list of things I should do.  And now she’s texting to see if I’m through.”

If those words resonate with you then you are most likely married…with kids.  And if you’re also a metal head then you will find a lot on this record that’s relatable.

From there it goes to the song “Raising Teenage Girls”. I’ll let you guess what that ones about. But it’s not all pining to ditch your family to spend the day playing air guitar in front of your living room stereo. “Be A Dick 2 Nite” is the tale of a lifelong buddy dealing with his wife leaving him and needs his best friend to babysit him as he goes on a drunken bender. And the songs “Old School” and “Mr. Rock N’ Roll” (which features what may be the last vocal ever recorded by AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson) seem like genuine attempts at writing straight up rock/metal music.

Overall the songs are better than you’d expect from a comedian gone musician. And to be honest I’m not sure they aren’t better than that. It’s hard to ignore that it’s Jim Breuer writing and performing these songs. Jim has always come off as a genuine person. Like fellow comics Brian Posehn, Jim Florentine and Don Jameson, listening to Jim talk about metal makes you wonder what the hell you’re doing wrong. They share our passion in a way we never articulated. And Jim put a product behind his passion.

I like this record. I’m just not sure how much. I’ve heard funnier songs with crappier music. And music should matter. I’m not sugggesting the songs aren’t funny.  They are.  But in more of an “I wish I had the balls to say that to my wife” kind of way. I’ll say this: if you enjoy Jim as a comedian and you like metal, you’re going to like this.  Dad Metal may not have existed a few weeks ago but I’ve got a feeling it’s here to stay.

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