Cabin Fever (Scaramanga Six album)

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Cabin Fever is the third studio album by English rock band The Scaramanga Six. It was released in 2004 on Wrath Records and produced by Tim Smith of Cardiacs. After promoting their previous album Strike! Up the Band, multi-instrumentalist Jenny Harris and drummer James Agnew left the band. Drummer Steve Gilchrist joined, while the core lineup of Paul Morricone, Steven Morricone, Julia Arnez and John Gulliver continued. The Morricones invited Tim Smith to produce, hoping to push for a louder, rougher sound than their earlier work. Smith encouraged them to go further, aiming for a heavier and more dynamic album.

The title Cabin Fever reflects the claustrophobic, intense atmosphere the band felt while recording; Paul Morricone says they spent a long, stressful time together and illness spread through the group during the process. Three tracks—The Coward, Horrible Face and Poison Fang—were re-recordings from their 1999 debut, The Liar the Bitch and Her Wardrobe. In the first recording sessions the band was a five-piece; John Gulliver left before the final sessions, so he only plays on five tracks. As the band settled into a quartet, Steven Morricone took on most of the keyboard duties.

The album runs about 45 minutes, and all tracks are credited to Paul Morricone and Steven Morricone. To promote Cabin Fever, the band toured the UK and released two related EPs: We Rode The Storm (November 2004) and Horrible Face (May 2005). Cabin Fever was well received by critics, who praised its originality, bold sound and theatrical feel, noting a mix of hard-edged rock, operatic moments and dark humor.