Review:

BONGINATOR – The 1986 Doink City Massacre

By MONICA ROBERTS —

If brutal death metal isn’t enough for you, add some weed and evil robots who go back in time to shoot stoners with laser guns.

Bonginator is a one-man project started by Erik Thorstenn in 2021. Accompanying him on live shows is Jake Thompson(drums) and Ron Bernhaut(bass).

Calling themselves “two-stepping neon weed death,” the Massachusetts-based stoner death metal band combines rich heavy breakdowns and comedic Terminator-parodied themes centered around weed (if the band name wasn’t already obvious). 

Bonginator releases their first EP, The 1986 Doink City Massacre conveniently on April 20 of this year. The long-waited EP is an extension of their self-titled demo that was released in January 2022.

The 1986 Doink City Massacre starts off by incorporating 1980s action cheese into a two-minute electropop monologue that introduces listeners to the plot of the EP. The story is simple: It’s the year 3069 and weed no longer exists since ganja-hating robots went back to 1986 to kill all stoners. Now you must join the elite resistance called the Doinkinite to put an end to the Bonginators before it’s too late. 

Their second track, “The Doinkinite”, officially starts the EP. This track brings forth a powerful yet smooth explosion of sheer brutal death leaves you satisfied after the long Mortal Kombat-esque intro that keeps you anticipating what the band has to offer. “The Doinkinite” reintroduces another monologue that continues on with the rock opera’s story. Lyrics state the purpose of the Doinkinite with a repeat of the verse “You must save the world by smoking weed.” 

“The Bonginators” follow perfectly after the heroic theme of “The Doinkinite.” By   starting off dark and slow, this track sets an evil tone for the forthcoming robot invasion and complete stoner annihilation. A faster tempo and heavier song structure appear shortly after we are introduced to the dark theme — and it is definitely not a slow burn. The track ends as it starts, deep, dark, rich, and evenly paced. 

“Interlude”, is exactly as the track name entails. The song refurbishes the 80’s techno beats from the introduction and acts as a palette cleanser from their heavy and destructive sound. The choice of this break makes their next track, “War; On Drugs” twice as intense. 

^{Physical copies Will Be available 4/20/2022 via Barbaric Brutality}

Bonginator’s technical use of complex riffs, blast beats, low gutturals, and breakdowns in “War; On Drugs,” blends beautifully into an intricate mix of brutal tech-death and hardcore. The fast-paced track makes it difficult to know whether you should tear shit up or smoke a joint. 

The EP ends with “Dank Nugulus” , a slamming grand finale to the rock opera. Thorstenn shows off his vocal technique with a mixture of pig squeals and low gutturals which neatly accompanies his use of breakdowns and complex song structure on guitar. 

The band offers a unique twist to stoner metal. Due to the tech-death and hardcore elements that the band employs, this EP may not be first choice a stoner would pick when lighting up. The 1986 Doink City Massacre overall works as a comedic death metal piece for those actively seeking out brutal new music. 

I look forward to Bonginator’s success in the future and anticipate a tour and full-length album. I don’t see Bonginator going through many obstacles for larger success as this EP showcases much of Thorstenn’s talent as both a musician and producer. 

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