With the exception of Deftones, next to no artists were repping the nu metal sound at this year’s edition of Lollapalooza in Chicago. In fact, you had to be at the festival’s unofficial afterparty for that.
Not long after headliners Blink-182’s foul-mouthed frontmen kissed the Lolla crowd goodnight on the final day of the festival, Silly Goose were gearing up for their fourth impromptu night of performing in a row. The young Atlanta-based musicians have been building a reputation as some of the most dedicated DIY-rockers in the country right now. And the internet is rightfully giving them their flowers for it.
The current lineup of Silly Goose features Jackson Foster on lead vocals, Alan Benikhis on drums, Ian Binion on lead guitar and backup vocals, and Yalli Alvarez on bass guitar and backup vocals. Some of their viral performances have included shows at fast food joints and gas stations--fitting locations for a nu metal band. The Goose’s fourth pop-up show in downtown Chicago saw them playing an even more unconventional spot: on top of their tour van.
The energy these dudes unleash on the crowd is exactly the kind of energy you’d expect from a band named Silly Goose. These aren’t your usual Deftones worshiping nu-gazers. This is balls to the wall, in-your-face bounce riff metal, without relying on a gimmick or turn-of-the-millennium nostalgia.
On August 9th, it was announced that the Rage Against The Machine and Limp Bizkit inspired band signed with Blue Grape Music, a label led by industry titans of Roadrunner Records. They are joined by the likes of Code Orange, Spiritual Cramp and GEL, and are reportedly set to release their new EP on this label. It will serve as the follow up to their 2022 debut full-length, The Streets Heard It First, a milestone in modern rap rock.
According to their new label, Silly Goose’s sole purpose is to make good music, have fun and make people happy. They honored that mission throughout the first half of 2024 by giving the people some of that current Silly G flavor through singles “King Of The Hill” and “Live It Up”. The boys took some of that leftover raw power and translated it into “Tsunami”, their latest release ahead of their forthcoming EP.
The first 10 seconds of “Tsunami” instantly remind me of both Royal Blood’s “Boilermaker” and Limp Bizkit’s “Just Like This”. Can you blame me for immediately listening to Typhoons the moment I decided to review this track? Or for having John Otto’s infectious drum patterns temporarily stimulating my auditory cortex, free of charge?
Apart from all that, Silly Goose oozes originality on “Tsunami”. Although I was still very young in the early 2010’s, I did have unrestricted internet access. Yet I am positive I have never heard the word “swaggarocious” until now, have you? Nonetheless, it’s a good way to describe Foster’s dynamic vocal style. He spits, screams and sings with such confidence it’s hard to believe he’s been at it for only a few years at this point. The same can be said for his bandmates, who lay down such impeccable grooves they make you want to dance with a bear instead of fight one. The pinch harmonic-seasoned groovefest already satisfies me enough to the point where I am not asking for more. Or at least that’s what I thought before I heard the bridge. You could now officially argue Foster has the potential to go down in history as the Gen Z version of at least two legendary nu metal vocalists. But these metaphorical comparisons are getting a bit stale, aren’t they? He’s Jackson Foster of Silly Goose, plain-and-simple.
Silly Goose shared the following statement regarding the release of “Tsunami” on Instagram:
“We put a lot of work into this song and it is definitely one of our favorite songs that we have ever made. Everything about this song just feels like a level up for us and we hope you like it as much as we do.”
It’s hard to disagree with that. illustrator Jack Hamilton also deserves a shout-out for the silly, almost Bazooka Joe-inspired artwork he has created for the past few Silly Goose releases.
If you'd like to catch the band on tour this fall, you've got exactly one chance; it'd be silly not to grab it.
