Just 3 months after the release of Taste TestorsS/T, Taste Testors were back in the studio working on their sophomore album Come Back, releasing on April 3rd, 2026 on Moodkiller Records.
Taste Testors’ lineup of Steve E (The Briefs) on vocals, Leif Larson (Appaloosa) on bass, and Nils Larson (The Greatest Hits) on guitar are back with a new drummer who goes by the name of Hollywood Hudson (formerly of The Cute Lepers).
Come Back is 10 more songs averaging 2 minutes long including a more obscure cover than the last album. Just like their S/T debut, it was recorded with Johnny Sangster at Crackle & Pop and mastered by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering. Fun fact, this was recorded 1 month after Hudson joined the band, and he brought along some cowbell.
It starts off with “I Don’t Like Working On The Weekend”, a song about FOMO and is quickly followed up by “I’m Waiting For Something Lame”, a catchy song about the dreadful wait when something you inevitably have to go through. “I Might Be Thinkin’ About You” is about the beginning of true love. “I’m Gonna Be Buried in Hollywood Cemetery” is about the coolest cemetery in the world where everyone from Dee Dee Ramone to Pee Wee Herman is buried.
“Who’s Gonna Be At Your Funeral” is about those people that nobody likes and it’s usually cuz they pushed everyone away and you feel sorry for them because nobody will be at their funeral. “Little Baby” is a super oscure cover of an old 60s freak-beat song by The Blue Rondos and sounds like it was re-discovered by The Ramones. “She Sees in Cartoons” is another tribute to cool, creative females artists. “Kicked Out” is sing-a-long about getting the boot from your partner.
“City of Dark” is about the streets of LA which have no light cuz tweeters took all the copper out of the poles. “It Isn’t Very Pretty” has an interesting story. John Waters gave Nils the title for this song at a book signing after he saw Nils’ Divine tattoo. The song itself is about the ugliness of suicide. The album closes with instrumental “Taste Testors Delight. “
The album cover was designed by Devi Pellerin and features images a cartoon of the band and tributes to Repo Man and Jaws.
Pre-order link: https://tastetestors.bandcamp.com/album/come-back
1. I Don’t Like Working On The Weekend
2. I’m Waiting For Something Lame
3. I Might Be Thinkin’ About You
4. I’m Gonna Be Buried In The Hollywood Cemetery
5. Who’s Gonna Be At Your Funeral
6. Little Baby
7. She Sees In Cartoons
8. Kicked Out
9. City Of Dark
10. It Isn’t Very Pretty
11. Taste Testors Delight
TASTE TESTORS live dates:
04/03 – Seattle WA @ Clockout Lounge w/ Sex Mex + SUX (RECORD RELEASE)
04/04 – Seattle WA @ Easy Street Records (RECORD RELEASE PARTY)
“TASTE TESTORS are the band you wanted to start but you didn’t. And THEY DID. YOU wanted to take The Ramones rule book and run with it. YOU wanted to start a band with your buddies. YOU wanted to write killer songs and play them the way the book says. YOU weren’t gonna play any guitar solos. YOU wanted to count in the songs ala Dee Dee. But YOU didn’t, and THEY DID. That’s why THEY are TASTE TESTORS and you aren’t.”— Kurt Bloch / The Fastbacks
“The kind of songs you can sing along to without having ever heard them before… It’s wildly infectious.”— Chris Chappell / Razorcake
“They have the raw energy, the hooks and snotty attitude of ’77 punk bands…” — Laurent Chopard / Veglam
“They may be a new band but they ain’t no scene newcomers…”— Mick Fletcher / Just Some Punk Songs
“…power pop that’s slid into the punk domain…”— Rev. Nørb / Razorcake
“…a rowdy and raw blast of snotty, timeless punk flavor…”— Tom Haugen / Daily Vault
“I love Taste Testors!” — Fink / Teengenerate-Angel Face
Tired of long sound checks, boring stage banter, and long sets? Wanna see a band that makes you wanna see them again…and again? Let’s introduce or re-introduce TASTE TESTORS.
All downstrokes. No bass lines. No guitar solos. No filler.
Comin’ up from the scuzzy, fentanyl-plagued city of Seattle, TASTE TESTORS are four well-aged, clean-shaven punk rockers playing punk rock music aimed at the whole worlds attention deficit weirdos of all the generations here and to come. With a sound more than a 1000% obviously influenced by 4 guys from Queens in 1976, they also will tickle the record nerds taste buds with hints of garage, bubblegum, early so-cal punk, and doo-wop.
In the most humbling way, TASTE TESTORS are somewhat of a Seattle supergroup with members from bands such as The Briefs, Rabid Dogs, The Piniellas, The Burnz, Clean Lines, and Poxy. Since their conception in 2024, Taste Testors have played a handful of shows, opening for groups like The Adicts, The Queers, Black Ends, Fan Club, Kaleko Urdangak, MESS, Okmoniks, and Paint Fumes.
2025 saw the release of their self-titled album on Moodkiller which made waves on the airwaves all across the USA and pockets of the world.
TASTE TESTORS are:
| Steve E – vocals, no autotune |
| Nils L – guitar, one guitar pedal |
| Leif L – bass, no guitar pedals |
| Hollywood Hudson – drums, some cowbell |
visit TASTE TESTORS online:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taste_testors/
Bandcamp: https://tastetestors.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Taste-Testors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TasteTestors
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/taste-testors/1755629736
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/56LjcKM4TNMCKd37SuOmj6?si=WmnqJDBVTRqOitFVqSCzxg
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