CHEATER SLICKS: Sludge Titans and the Legacy of Their 1995 Classic

CHEATER SLICKS: Sludge Titans and the Legacy of Their 1995 Classic

In The Red’s August 2025 Reissue Marks Don’t Like You’s 30th Anniversary in Vinyl Glory

In the gritty heart of Boston’s Allston neighborhood in 1995, a sonic storm was brewing. Cheater Slicks, a band that’s been churning out raw, unfiltered garage punk since 1987, unleashed their fourth full-length album, Don’t Like You, on the legendary In The Red Records. Recorded at Jerry Teel’s Funhouse studio in New York with Jon Spencer at the production helm, this album was a chaotic, reverb-soaked masterpiece that captured the band’s primal energy. Now, in August 2025, In The Red is reissuing this classic to honor its 30th anniversary, giving fans old and new a chance to dive back into the sludgy, feedback-laden brilliance of one of America’s most enduring underground rock acts.

Back in ’95, Reprobate Media were pounding the drums for local outfit The In Out, practicing in the basement of Cafe Brazil at 425 Cambridge Street. The restaurant’s owner, Walter, wasn’t thrilled about our noise, but next door, a haven for music freaks had just opened: Karmi Records. Run by the Shannon brothers, Tom and Dave, the shop was a vinyl junkie’s paradise, stuffed with thousands of records—some rare, some pricey, all essential. Walking into Karmi was like stepping into a time machine, with stacks of wax telling the story of rock’s underbelly. It was there I met Tom and Dave, the guitar-slinging core of Cheater Slicks, whose reputation for blistering live shows preceded them. I’d heard of their early gigs, like opening for Nirvana at Green Street Station in the late ’80s, but I’d yet to witness their live fury.

Karmi wasn’t just a record store; it was a hub for Boston’s misfit music scene. On one visit, I picked up a Suicide record and the debut Chrome Cranks album (a band we’d just shared a bill with). Then I spotted a freshly pressed copy of Don’t Like You on In The Red. Before I could reach for it, Billy Ruane—Boston’s wild-hearted music promoter and patron saint of the underground—burst in. “Buy it!” he bellowed, promising me a guest spot plus one for the Cheater Slicks’ record release show at TT the Bear’s the next week if I did. How could I say no to Billy? (RIP, you legend—we miss you.) 

When I dropped the needle on Don’t Like You, the opening track “Feel Free” hit like a sledgehammer. Gobs of reverb, shards of fuzzed-out guitar, and Dana Hatch’s relentless drumming exploded from the speakers. This was no polished studio trickery—it was live, analog, and gloriously unhinged, recorded with Jerry Teel ( Boss Hog / Chrome Cranks ) capturing every raw moment. Tracks like “Destroy You” and covers of obscurities like The Half Beats’ “Should I” and The Mystic Tide’s “Mystery Ship” showcased the Slicks’ knack for blending proto-punk snarl with garage rock’s greasy soul. 

The record release show at TT’s was pure pandemonium. Billy Ruane, true to form, took the stage to hype the crowd, demanding everyone trek to Karmi Records to grab the album—even offering to buy copies himself.  Cheater Slicks delivered a set that was equal parts menace and melancholy, with Tom and Dave Shannon’s jagged guitars and Dana Hatch’s primal thud proving why they’ve been a cult favorite for decades. You can still feel the energy in the footage from that night, preserved in Billy’s vast VHS archive, a testament to his love for Boston’s music scene. Hours later, I celebrated my 23rd Birthday having a few cold ones with him and the Slicks in the back room of TT's.

Formed in Boston in 1987, Cheater Slicks—Tom Shannon (guitar, vocals), Dave Shannon (guitar), and Dana Hatch (drums, vocals)—have spent nearly four decades crafting a sound that’s too raw for garage purists, too loud for indie rockers, and too damn good to ignore. After cycling through bassists like Merle Allin (GG’s brother) and Alpo Paulino (Real Kids), they ditched the bass entirely, embracing a lean, mean trio format akin to The Cramps. Their move to Columbus, Ohio, in 1996 didn’t slow them down; it gave them room to hone their mix of psych, noise, and garage punk. From early records like On Your Knees (1989) to later gems like Reality Is a Grape (2012), they’ve never compromised their vision.

Don’t Like You stands as a pivotal moment in their career, a bridge between their raw Boston beginnings and the prolific years that followed. With In The Red’s August 2025 reissue marking its 30th anniversary, it’s time to crank up the volume and let the Slicks’ misfit melancholia wash over you. Long live the Cheater Slicks!

CATCH CHEATER SLICKS LIVE THIS WEEKEND IN COLIUMBUS CELBRATING 30 YEARS OF "DONT LIKE YOU"!  ORDER THE REISSUE NOW!

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