The Cutthroat Brothers & Mike Watt Dance with the ‘Devil In Berlin’ and Conjure Up Greatness [Album Premiere]

Some collaborations seem forced, while others were just meant to be. You can slot The Cutthroat Brothers and Mike Watt into the latter category and the evidence is in their debut album Devil In Berlin. Set to be released tomorrow via Hound Gawd Records, the record brings together experience, talent, and greatness, with Watt, a punk rock legend, widely considered one of the best rock bass players of all time, and guitarist Jason Cutthroat and drummer Donny Paycheck of The Cutthroat Brothers, longtime veterans of the punk rock scene who have played with just about everyone.

The eleven-track collection is less of a traditional punk sound, but aggressive as hell, featuring hooks and riffs that will get stuck in your head, unwilling to leave. The blues-punk and garage rock sounds of The Cutthroat Brothers are widely on display here, bringing to mind the sounds of The Gun Club, The Cramps, and The Stooges. Producer and close confidante, the legendary Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney), helped produce and mix the album, his fifth time working with Jason and Donny.

With more on Endino’s value to the recording process, Watt says:

“Another consistent thing was brother Jack Endino manning the knobs. Huge respect from Watt for his happening, HUGE. So in a way it was four dudes in four different states, but that for me is one of the fuckin’ most bitchin’ things about music. The ability to bring cats together whatever the situation because they want to kick up some dust! Those with the hankering will find a way, correct? Why? Maybe because they can’t help it, because they’re motherfuckin’ drivin’!”

With his own unique description of the album, Jason Cutthroat shares:

“This is our fuzzed-up, one way ticket for the rock n’ rollercoaster! Hell’s hold music! Shake your pointed tail and boogie till you barf! If Iggy, The Cramps, Gun Club, Misfits, and Ramones all wrung their sweaty tour chonies into a shot glass it and you drink it… that’s what this album might feel like. Yum!”

Devil In Berlin and the collaboration between The Cutthroat Brothers and Watt came together recently in fairly casual fashion. Paycheck, revered for his role in the hardcore band Zeke, owns and operates a barbershop in Tacoma, Washington, while Jason Cutthroat, also a barber, is situated in Hawaii.

For a special Record Store Day release, the duo recently got together with Watt to provide bass and vocals and the experience was so enjoyable that they decided to write and record together. It all started when The Cutthroat Brothers appeared on Watt’s podcast and by the time they began to record together, the chemistry was instant.

The whole new album is something of a legendary affair that cannot afford to be missed.

Artwork for ‘Devil in Berlin’ by The Cutthroat Brothers and Mike Watt