American Steel – Destroy Their Future (c) 2007 Fat Wreck Chords American Steel are back with a new record, their first for Fat, and I say it is a good one. These veterans of the East Bay punk scene return with 12 tracks of gritty and sonically dark rock and roll. Stand out tracks include the snarkily spiteful "Mean Steak" and the rockin' yet sad "Old Croy Road". I may be off the mark here, but I hear a very wide range of influences, including: Leather Face, The Clash, The Lawrence Arms and Dropkick Murphys just to name a few. I'll admit that I hadn't heard of American Steel before this disc, but I'm totally on the look out for their back catalog. Speaking of The Lawrence Arms, American Steel are currently out on tour with their label mates, so if they happen to wander to your town, go see 'em and tell 'em I sent ya.–Jerry Actually
Author: Jerry Actually
N.S.O.A. – For the Forgotten
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[rating:4.5/5]
(c) 2007 NSOA
New Society of Anarchists are back with another edition in their continuing saga of gut-wrenching and brutal musical onslaught. “For the Forgotten” explodes with 20 tracks of some of the most true to form hardcore in the game. The songs are fast, pissed and in your face. For fans of NSOA, all the familiar sounds are there: crunching guitars, machine gun drums, reinforcing backup vocals. However, In comparison to recent past releases the sound on the new disc is noticeably more raw. I suspect that this is due in part to the absence of former? bass player Jason Z. Bass and vox are now being handled simultaneously by Zakk Z. The music is certainly intact, but you can hear where things have been re-arranged to accommodate the current line up. Above all the hardcore rings true: The outrage at social injustice, The strong sense of unity, The feeling that you just got your head smacked by a Mac truck with a combat boot for a hood ornament.
–Jerry Actually
TPOMC
The Pleasures Of Merely Circulating – S/T (c) 2007 Ettabelle Records Marfa, TX band The Pleasures of Merely Circulating are equal parts precocious and punk. Their self-titled debut CD hold 13 tracks of love, loss, pining and rollicking all tinged by their southern rock roots. The songs are peppy and short and chock full of energy and guts. The music rings out in that raw yet urgent way that only a finely tuned three-piece can muster. Fun new material from Texas. Go on, giver a whirl.–Jerry Actually
Streets Ahead [The Album]
Streets Ahead – The Album (c) 2007 Streets Ahead Like the pull of a mighty vortex, the whirlwind of America siphons away from the edges and drains somewhere towards the center. In this case we have three musicians from disparate corners of the nation. The three fell together in Cleveland, Ohio only to be melded together into the punk rock band, Streets Ahead. "The Album" is full of crunchy hooks and clever and unusual lyrical constructs. The music is punk, but not in the regurgatative ripoff sense. Streets Ahead hold some distinctive sounds, but not so far out that they will alienate potential fans. Think of something like Billy Corgan and TMBG colliding with Seven Seconds. They are not trying to reinvent the wheel, but they also aren't trying to be the wheel, dig? Either way, let me reiterate, Cleveland Rocks! and Streets Ahead keeps that rock (bad pun alert!) rolling.–Jerry Actually
Buck-O-Nine [Sustain]
Buck-O-Nine – Sustain (c) 2007 Asian Man Records I got the increasingly rare opportunity to attend a Buck-O-Nine CD release show last Saturday at their, and my newly re-adopted, hometown stomping grounds. The show was at The Casbah, a downtown San Diego ska friendly staple. It is a great little venue, perfect for intimate shows with your favorite bands and the 24oz. cans of PBR aren't stupid expensive. As a bonus for attending the show, every ticket holder received a copy of Sustain, their first new release in seven years. For fans of Buck-O-Nine, you wont be disappointed. As far as I'm concerned the disc is an instant ska classic. The songs are tight. The horns hit. They can hold muster to a couple adult beverages and remain dance-able. The shout along choruses are intact. If you are new to ska, (wow that cave must have been crazy dark and quiet all these years) dig into their back catalog. There is more good stuff to be had. What more can I say about the disc other than it is a great piece of work from one of my favorites and now on one of my favorite labels too. For those that didn't get to attend the show. Buck-O-Nine was opened by another local ska act, The Lifters. They too put on a great show. Check 'em out if you have a chance.–Jerry Actually
Heartbreak Club [Lamecore]
Heartbreak Club – Lamecore (c) 2007 Reign Records In spite of my traditionally better judgment, I went ahead and listened to a band with a CD entitled "Lamecore". Turns out it ain't so bad. Heartbreak Club wrenches up a five track EP of sugary heartache. The songs are emo alterna-pop punk with a sacharrin irony in the vein of Weezer Alkaline Trio or Lawrence Arms albeit with a bit more pop than the latter two references. If you like to rock out while you cry over spilled milk, maybe you should apply for membership in the Heartbreak Club.–Jerry Actually
Revolution Mother [Glory Bound]
Revolution Mother – Glory Bound (c) 2007 Cement Shoes Records Is it metal? Is it hardcore? Is it punk? I guess I don’t know. I’m gonna go ahead and call it rock. Revolution Mother is a hard hitting outfit fronted by skate star Mike Vallely. Their brand new disc, Glory Bound comes on strong with the first two tracks, but seems to suffer from musical premature ejaculation. While it opens strong and fast, by track four, “Bullet”, it begins to plod and chug. The rest of the disc may as well be a tribute to Planet Caravan as far as I’m concerned. If Revolution Mother could have maintained the pace, I would have shown it a bit more love, but tracks like the five minute “Burning from Inside” really just made me want to take a nap. It picks up again later in the disc, but to be honest, I’ve moved on. Just one more thing, holy crap! What is with the freakin’ beards? Scary!–Jerry Actually
Mustard Plug [In Black and White]
Mustard Plug – In Black And White (c) 2007 Hopeless Records
I was pretty excited when I heard that there was going to be a brand new Mustard Plug CD. As soon as I got a chance to give it a listen, I was all over it. There is an amazing resurgence of the early 90’s ska going on right now and to be perfectly honest, I’m a bit surprised that the Plug are one of the ones who made it through. I’m happy as hell that they did and I admire their tenaciousness in taking the band from silly to serious.
These seasoned veterans of the third wave have made a glorious return. It brings me back to a time about 15 years ago when ska was fun and not so many creepy kids wanted to be all emo. The years and miles have help to shape Mustard Plug’s sound, however.
Recorded at the legendary Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Co, In Black and White bursts with an immense amount of energy and talent, but harbors a more cynical overtone than past efforts. Bill Stevenson helps lend a more aggressive edge to the tracks. Songs like Time To Wake Up even seem downright dark, but don’t let the seriousness of the CD bring you down. It still will put every last one of your brains on ska.
–Jerry Actually
The Warriors [Genuine Sense of Outrage]
The Warriors – Genuine Sense of Outrage (c) 2007 Victory RecordsBrand new on shelves today is some solid hardcore on Victory Records. Genuine Sense of Outrage, by Oxnard’s own The Warriors, thankfully brings some guts back to the cadre of Victory releases. Featuring 13 tracks of slightly melodic East Coast style hardcore amply laden with fearsome thrash metal riffs. (albeit from California) Despite the misgivings that some may have against West Coast Hardcore, The Warriors obviously bring it enough to have guest vox from Sick Of It All’s Lou Koller and thee Lemmy Kilmister. The Warriors hold true to the roots of harcore and let the world know that they are fucking pissed, that this ain’t a fashion show and that they can bring some heart back to the scene. –Jerry Actually
The Unseen [Internal Salvation]
The Unseen – Internal Salvation (c) 2007 Hellcat Records The Unseen's latest, Internal Salvation, is the groups second release on Hellcat Records and the follow up to 2005's State of Discontent and just one of some 15 odd releases over as many years. Practice perseverance and dedication have proven yet again that punk is only as dead as the people that give up on it. Internal Salvation presents 13 new tracks replete with angsty wailings of personal tragedy and societal woes. Short and sweet like punk rock ought to be, clocking in right about 30 minutes. Despite all the talk bandied about that The Unseen has sold out, I say, "Bite Me! Let's see you been in a punk band for almost 15 years and still sound that real." –Jerry Actually