The lineup consisted of Nicholas 'Nick' Walsh (vocals) Rob Bruce (guitar) Kevin Gale (guitar) Pat Howarth (bass) Neal Busby (drums) and Dave Mercel (lyricist). They released the E.P. Smooth and Deadly in 1991 on Capitol/EMI Records and followed that up with their debut full length CD Doin’ The Nasty in 1992 (also on Capitol/EMI). They released videos for "Helluva Time", "White Lies, Black Truth" and "By The Fireside." With constant touring with the likes of Kim Mitchell and Yngwie Malmsteen they even managed to get their CD to go Gold In Canada.
It was at this time that metal was starting to fall out of commercial favor as grunge garbage was taking over the airwaves. Some of you may remember the infamous incident where a drunken Pat Howarth (bassist) smashed a limousine at the 1994 post-Juno Awards party. It was after this little fiasco that the label began questioning the stability of the band. EMI wanted to move Slik Toxik to a subsidiary label but the band decided to leave EMI and go the independent route. They released the impressive CD Irrelevant in 1994 with new bassist Adam Headland. They were now signed to the small indie label known as Strawberry. During this time metal was being drowned by the wave of whiny grunge bands and Slik Toxik didn’t make it. The band folded. The fickle North American music industry and (mainstream) audience were not in favors of hard rock / metal any longer.
As for what they are doing now? Neal Busby reportedly teaches drums and spent some time in the Toronto death/extreme metal band Solus. Nick Walsh and Rob Bruce have been playing most recently in the band Raised On Mars who's "coming soon" website is at www.raisedonmars.com. We have no idea what this band is, what they play and even if it's metal or just some rock band?!?!
For all other intents and purposes Slik Toxik is dead and buried. There won't be a 30th Anniversary reunion, nor will there be a new studio album. That isn't to say Walsh won't and doesn't revisit Slik Toxik's music, as anyone who has attended a Famous Underground show can attest. "We do play the songs sometimes," he says. "It's not a staple thing in the Famous Underground set, but sometimes we'll pull out 'Helluvatime' or 'White Lies'. We've even done a medley where we threw in 'By The Fireside' and 'Sweet Asylum', we've done 'Twentysomething' off Irrelevant. So yes, Slik Toxik can live on in that respect when I feel like it. But as you said, it's been 30 years, so the idea of a reunion... honestly, for me it's not appealing. I think I get along better with those guys now than I would if we decided to reunite."
That said, 2021 did see Walsh reunite briefly with Busby to sing on a couple tracks by Busby's relaunched '80s metal band, Chyld.
"Neal and Pete Dove (bass / Slash Puppet) had something cooking," Walsh says of the one-off. "It's their project and I was asked to do a task, and it was good to do. I have my own project where I'm the be-all end-all, so it was no problem for me to go and do something with them because whenever I get the opportunity to do something different, I embrace it. It's fun to do."
Marionette
Slik Toxik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chains of ecstacy
She doesn't mean to love me
But I like the way she screams
Sleazy addiction
Broken-hearted passion toy
Her innocence
She'll never cut the strings
And tear our lust apart
Soft cries
In the night
Screaming for my heart
My fallen angel
I'll see you in hell
On your own in love
All alone, all alone
Run away from my deadly touch
But I need her fire
Take a walk on the wire
Walk along...
Deadly attraction
Breoken-hearted Marionette
Deep lust shadows regret
For my Marionette
Sweet Caroline
My Marionette
Yeah...
My Marionette
The lyrics to Slik Toxik's song Marionette describe a toxic, destructive relationship where the singer is addicted to the pleasure and pain that he feels while being with his partner. He acknowledges that their love is not genuine but rather a product of their respective chains of ecstasy. He enjoys the way she screams and the soft cries that she makes in the night, revealing that he is drawn to her pain and suffering. He sees her as a broken-hearted passion toy, a puppet whose innocence has been destroyed, but he doesn't want to let her go. He knows that she will never cut the strings that bind her to him, and instead will continue to scream for his heart despite herself.
The singer refers to his partner as his fallen angel and admits that they will likely end up in hell together because of the intense nature of their bond. He tells her to run away from his deadly touch, but at the same time admits that he needs her fire, suggesting that he is unable to break free from the hold that she has over him. The lyrics describe the singer's partner as a marionette, suggesting that she is controlled by someone or something else, and implying a lack of agency on her part. The line "Deadly attraction, broken-hearted marionette, deep lust shadows regret" suggests that the singer is aware of the negative aspects of their relationship but is unable to break free from it.
Line by Line Meaning
But I lie...
I'm not being honest about my true intentions or feelings.
Chains of ecstacy
Our passion has become addictive and all-consuming, like chains that are impossible to break.
She doesn't mean to love me
She's not intentionally falling in love with me, it's happening naturally and unintentionally.
But I like the way she screams
I get pleasure from the sound of her screaming, possibly indicating a desire for control or domination.
Sleazy addiction
Our relationship has become sleazy and immoral due to our addictive behavior.
Broken-hearted passion toy
She's become a toy in our destructive passion, which has left her heart broken.
Her innocence
She was innocent and pure before getting involved in this relationship, but now that's been lost.
Destroyed
The relationship has utterly destroyed her former innocence and purity.
She'll never cut the strings
She'll never be able to break free from this toxic relationship.
And tear our lust apart
Breaking free would mean breaking apart the addictive lust that keeps us together.
Soft cries
She's softly crying, possibly indicating that she's experiencing emotional pain or distress.
In the night
She's crying alone in the dark of night, when no one else is around to witness her pain.
Screaming for my heart
She's desperately calling out to me for help, but I ignore her and let her continue to suffer.
My fallen angel
Despite the harm I'm causing her, I still see her as an angel, possibly indicating that I'm placing her on a pedestal despite our unhealthy relationship.
I'll see you in hell
Our relationship is so destructive that it's going to lead both of us to a metaphorical hell if we continue down this path.
On your own in love
She's alone in this relationship, despite being in love with me - maybe because I'm not giving her the emotional support she needs.
All alone, all alone
Repeating "all alone" emphasizes the loneliness and isolation she feels, despite being with someone who claims to love her.
Run away from my deadly touch
She recognizes that my touch is deadly and harmful, and wants to escape from me.
But I need her fire
Despite knowing how destructive our relationship is, I'm still drawn to her passionate energy and am unable to let her go.
Take a walk on the wire
I'm willing to take a risk and walk a dangerous path in order to stay with her, no matter the personal cost.
Walk along...
Repeat of "walk" emphasizes the risky and dangerous nature of our relationship.
Deadly attraction
Our attraction to each other could be metaphorically lethal or devastating if we continue down this path.
Breoken-hearted Marionette
She's a puppet or toy in our relationship, with a heart that has been broken beyond repair.
Deep lust shadows regret
Our intense lust is clouding out any feelings of remorse or regret that we should be feeling for how destructive our relationship has become.
For my Marionette
Despite how destructive our relationship is, I still view her as belonging to me, like a marionette on strings.
Sweet Caroline
Calling her by name acknowledges that she's a real person with real feelings, not just an object in our destructive relationship.
My Marionette
Repeating "my" emphasizes the possessive and controlling nature of our relationship, where I view her as being mine to control.
Contributed by Matthew T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mary Smith
on By the Fireside
OOOoooooOOoo <3 Love LOve love :X