Category: Punk

Punk Reviews

The Assasinators – Weaving Spiders Come Not Here

(c) 2009 The Assasinators

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The Assisantors started out in Shelton, Wa in 2004. They recorded their first album later that year, having already played with UK Subs, Agent Orange and Poison Idea to name a few. After taking a year off playing shows in ’07 and a line-up change, they officially released their debut album, Rumour Of War in 2008. They then recorded ‘Weaving Spiders Come Not Here’, with help from Mike Herrera of Christian pop-punkers MxPx. The (ever changing) line-up currently consists of Paul- Vocals, Parris- Guitar, Zebrana (of now defunct Bastard Child)- Bass, and Drew- Drums.

As soon as you press play, the impression is given that this is on the borderline of punk and metal. It’s very heavy and fast, and the guitar riffs would fit in on a metal record. Paul’s vocals would even be suited to a metal band, but there’s a snarly and in-your-face attitude to their sound, and that’s what makes them punk rock.

‘Econarchy’ is, even though it’s heavy, a middle finger in the air number, and is one of those songs that has such a ‘fuck you’ attitude, it makes you feel like you’re not punk if you don’t sing along. ‘Got A Deal WIth The FBI’ has the same effect.

There’s a bit of a political and socio-political theme to many of the songs on this album. They manage to demonstrate their opinions, on topics most of us can relate to, but aren’t pushing their beliefs onto the listener. A good example of this is ‘Welfare Checks And Balances’.

There are two covers on Weaving Spiders…, the first is GG Allin’s ‘Drink, Fight And Fuck’ a great choice, and they manage to make it work for them well. The 2nd is ‘Out Of Control’, by the legendary Rancid- a daring choice for an underground band, but they do it justice, as the heavier Rancid sound fits the Assasinators’ sound. Not quite as good as the original, but covers rarely are.

‘Badge And Gun’ and ‘Doin’ Fine’ are the punkiest tunes on the album, with their attitude and sound, and will go down brilliantly live.

The title track is the slowest, showing there’s more to them than heavy punk/metal.  This one is the closest to traditional new-school punk, and is definitely the highlight of the record.

The Assasinators have lots of potential. Expect to hear a lot more from this band in the near future, especially if they can write more songs like the title track to this impressive sophomore release.

-Frankii

Good Riddance – Capricorn One

© 2010 Fat Wreck Chords

[rating:3.5/5]

I’ll admit that I’m not super familiar with Good Riddance. Ok, sure I know who they are. I have a couple discs but I was never that into them. From this singles collection that I’m listening to right now, I’m thinking that I have been quite remiss. Capricorn One is some seriously sweet punk rock that spans a career that I intend to spend more time looking into. The earlier more hardcore material easily evolves into the tighter more articulate punk rock that I am more familiar with.

My lack of familiarity notwithstanding, Capricorn One dishes up 21 track of to-the-point punk rock and leaves you wanting more. I’d like to note, however, that this disc, thankfully doesn’t leave me wanting more of a “Phenomenon of Craving” … not my favorite Good Riddance.

At any rate, if you’re a fan, get this. If you’re not a fan, start.

-Jerry Actually

Vaporizer – Straight edge bullshit

There is an art to brevity. There is an art to punk rock. Vaporizer has both. drugs are good, cold beer is good (thank goodness I know that my parks will be safe) Ya know what though, I’m gonna go out on a limb and recommend Vaporizer as a good buy w/o the full review. The music rocks. straight edge sucks! S0me day we shall share beers!

Ubermanoeuvre – Burn This

(c) 2010 Spartan Records UK

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Ubermanoeuvre are a five-piece band, from South East London, UK. They have been compared to Rage Against The Machine and Enter Shikari, to name a few, and dub their own style as high energy rock.

There’s so much going on, and so many differences between each track, that it’s only fair to mention (nearly) every one.

Kicking off this, their debut album, is the title track, with an electro intro, leading into a hip-hop (with underlying synths) verse and shouty chorus, I guarantee you will never have heard anything like this before. And it will be a total mind fuck. There’s so many different elements to the one song, but don’t dismiss it yet.

Track two, ‘If I Were You (I Wouldn’t Be Me)’ opens with a very brief piece of acoustic guitar, then it’s straight into the (quite heavy) thrashing guitars. There’s also a creepy keyboard riff, adding an eerie element to the track. Even though there’s not as much going on, it’s still hard to place under a specific genre.

‘Call To Arms’ marks another change in sound, this one’s more emo, but still electro. Think HelloGoodbye meets Taking Back Sunday- cheesy cheerful, but screamo. Adding to this is the piano breakdown and the screamy choruses.

Track four, ‘Apathy Loves Company’ is one of the catchiest on the record. It’s still really odd, but by now you’ll have got used to the sheer weirdness of it all. Track five is more guitar driven, which suits them more, but then it’s back into the crazy mix with ‘Never Bring Your Girlfriend Flowers’- jazz piano under a hip-hop beat. But, somehow, it works. ‘9am: Monday’ is more hip-hop-y, with a emo/screamo chorus.

Then there’s track eight and 10, (‘Now! That’s What I Call Karma, ‘2378’) that are more downbeat and simple hip-hop rock.

As it’s so unusual compared to anything you’ll have ever heard, it’s impossible to really sum it up- so just check it out and decide for yourselves.

But, to recap, Ubermanoeuvre play screamo- electro- hip-hop, with synths- a- plenty.

There’s way too many dashes in that last sentence.

–Frankii

 

The Kings of Nuthin’ – Old Habits Die Hard

© 2010 Sailor’s Grave Records

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[rating:4/5]

New releases from some bands are like Christmas, immediately after the preceding one you get super excited for the next. The Kings of Nuthin’ are like that for me. I’ve been looking forward to Old Habits Die Hard since before I even knew it was coming out.

The disc doesn’t fail to impress either. The now familiar sounds of booze infused 50s rock and roll hybrid with punk guts and speed and vocals like a Dicky Barrett and Tom Waits shouting match are all intact. This time around you get to enjoy 18 new tracks and revel in the level of depth that The Kings of Nuthin’ have developed over the last several years.

Funny thing is, as much as I enjoy this disc, it wasn’t immediate. Maybe it was environment or situation or my mood at the time, but I wasn’t immediately taken. Some of the more, for lack of a better term right now, “doo-wop” moments threw me. The duet seemed wrong and out of place. Then again, I tend to be the type of person that likes sophomore efforts; the kind of releases that are the gangly and often awkward ones in a bands career.

Successive listens, however, convinced me that Old Habits Die Hard has a lot more going on musically than I initially gave it credit for. The songs are tighter now and a bit more complex. Time signatures swerve and careen but magically remain upright. Instruments weave in and out and always fall back in line. The duet really has some charm … I’m still not sure about the “doo-wop”

I think though, the overarching reason why I like this release and this band is that beyond the rockin’ they craft songs that I can relate to. At some point I can’t tell if the tracks are about someone I know, someone we all know or if they, in some strange twist of fate, started writing songs about me. I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel pretty damn connected to the music.

Cheers!

–Jerry

The Flatliners – Cavalcade

© 2010 Fat Wreck Chords

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[rating:3/5]

Call me confused. When I saw this CD in the ‘inbox’ I was super excited that I had some new psychobilly from “Thee Flatliners” … turns out that an extra e makes all the difference in the world. Immediately I was disappointed. Have you ever gone to take a drink of soda or beer or whatever and grabbed someone else’s beverage instead? Even if it isn’t something bad, the initial confusion of it not being what you expected can leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Well that is what I was experiencing with The Flatliners right off the bat. I’m glad that I stuck it out. I’ve been listening to Cavalcade for the last few days on my way to and from work. Over these last few days I’ve found a lot to enjoy. I also found some things to be concerned about, but I’ll discuss that later.

The disc provides 14 tracks of surprisingly diverse punk flavored tracks, each one with its own distinct flavor. There is a subtle Lawrence Arms quality as well as touches of Bracket. I think it speaks wonders for the roster consistency of Fat, no? Aside from the label mate similarities I hear bits of Bruce (Springsteen) and the other Bruce (Dickinson). Maybe I read too much into things though.

Aside from my initial disenchantment and eventual rock and roll epiphany, I can offer these words for The Flatliners – Cavalcade: Don’t be like me by almost not giving it a chance. That is wrong and I should know better and so should you.

A final word for the band, while I now appreciate what you’ve got going on, you’re flying dangerously close to the radio rock sun. Be careful Icarus. Be careful.

–Jerry

The Hollowpoints – Old Haunts on the Horizon

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© 2010 Sailor’s Grave Records

[rating:4.5/5]

Generally speaking, I don’t gush. I’ll take a small exception this time. I cannot stop listening to this CD. The Hollowpoints are one of the most energizing bands I’ve heard in a quite some time and quite possibly the best band I’ve heard so far this year.

Outside of my personal accolades (slightly), this disc offers 12 tracks of punk rock combined with solid songwriting ability. Perhaps I’m getting older, maybe my tastes have changed, but I appreciate quality arrangements and songwriting more than I ever used to. The Hollowpoints have both. (Maybe it’s because I listen to music on headphones before I review it now.)

What makes someone like something vs. something else? I often wonder this when I’m trying to put pen to paper (so to speak)  … well here’s my amateur psychoanalysis of the phenomenon. Certain sounds correlate to how you feel. The affectation that you get when you listen to things that enforce how you are feeling making them rise above the others.

Outside of my minor league pontification, this is one quality disc from start to finish; Great riffs, intelligent lyrics, quality instrumentation and a lot of references that I just can’t help but think might just be about me. As a point of reference (for those who need it) The Hollowpoints remind me of the following: American Steel, The Clash, Dead to Me and Cheaptrick … so there.

The bottom line: If you buy one punk rock CD this year, make it The Hollowpoints – Old Haunts on the Horizon.

–Jerry Actually

New York Taxi – The Calm Before

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(c) 2010 New York Taxi
[rating:3/5]

If New York Taxi goes on to be a hugely successful band, fans will probably look back at The Calm Before and say “Hey, their second album wasn’t bad. It’s kind of nice.” The punk/folk/acoustic duo isn’t there yet, but they’ve got a nice sound that suggests potential.

The Calm Before is only five tracks. The songwriting is solid, and the duo gets a lot of mileage out of only one guitar, two voices, and a little looping. There’s an occasional keyboard in there, too. The male-female alternating or layered vocals are nice, and there’s never an unpleasant measure. But there’s nothing memorable, nothing you have to play again, nothing that gets your heart beating.

It’s nice though. It’s a nice album.

Track 1, “And Now Our Feature Presentation” opens with a George W. Bush sound clip and rambles a bit before a not-very-insightful chorus of “We’ve been misled, we’ve been shut down… we’re going to stand up, we’re going to fight back…” Certainly not a unique or otherwise fresh perspective. Maybe that’s the problem with the album: a slight lack of maturity in the lyrics and overall sound.

(On a similar note, as a former US history teacher, I cringed when in Track 2 they referenced “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as being guaranteed in the Constitution – rather than the Declaration of Independence.)
Track 2, “Jennarita” opens nicely with a sharp guitar riff underneath a little piano ditty. Ryan’s raspy verse complements Shannon’s cute-punk-girl chorus well, and it’d be a much more memorable song if not for a weak, abortive attempt at a grand finale in the track’s closing seconds.

Track 3, “Apartment1111,” contains flashes of brilliance, especially in the chorus with Shannon joining Ryan in a soulful ode to their bankrupt state: “On my way back home…to California…screw California…”

The last two tracks are nice. Track 4, “Firefly” would be nice background music for the montage in a high school movie where the guy is alone at a bus stop and the girl is at a party, distracted and looking at the moon while she thinks about the guy at the bus stop. Then the guy doesn’t get on the bus, heads back to the party, and it starts to rain just as the girl comes running toward him on the street. Track 5, “Humble,” would start playing when they see each other. Then they start dancing in the rain and go back into the party hand in hand.

Which would be nice. It’s a nice album. And it’s short, which is nice. Three stars for being nice.

-Ozymandias

The Menzingers – Chamberlain Waits

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(c) 2010 Red Scare
[rating:4/5]

I might be overstepping my bounds, but I think that songwriting is back in a big way. Much of the material that has been sliding across my desk as of late has been big into well structured, well arranged music that is exceedingly well executed and dynamic yet in no way pretentious or insistent. Not the least of these is “Chamberlain Waits” from Scranton, PA.

To borrow the words from their Wikipedia page (repetition only makes it more true, right?) The Menzingers formed in the wake of of former ska-punk acts, Bob and the Sagets and Kos Mos. While it appears that much of the ska got left in the same wake, there are elements that still shine through such as sparing lead guitar runs over a solid back beat.

“Chamberlain Waits” delivers on its 12 tracks in a convincing heartfelt manner. Excellent vocal harmonies and hints of Lawrence Arms and Bruce Springsteen and The Clash come to mind upon repeated listening.

This disc was the first Menzingers for me, but I can assure that it won’t be the last. “Chamberlain Waits” offers the right mix of aggression, depression, humility and introspection that makes it work just right for any number of listening occasions. I look forward to more damn fine tunes from this band.

-Jerry Actually

Braincell Graveyard – Drunk Punk Anthems

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(c) 2010 Braincell Graveyard
[rating:2.5/5]

Here’s another odd review coming out of the dark (and apparently perverted) land of Canada. Toronto, to be more specific, but that hardly matter since most of you reading this don’t really have much grasp on geography anyway. (Yeah I’m talking to you USA)

“Drunk Punk Anthems” (or what may possibly be entitled, “Pink on the Inside”) knuckle shuffles forth 11 tracks of sophomoric sexual frustration remarkably disguised as punk rock. It’s a whole lot like Stephen Lynch got a distortion pedal. The music (lyrical content notwithstanding) on the other hand is actually rather enjoyable. I really brings back the late 80’s thrash that I grew up on. Seriously though, the goofy, campy, pervy nature of the lyrics prevent my from really latching on to this release. It’s the exact reason that I never really got into Mucky Pup or Scatterbrain.

It is almost too bad though, because musically it is spot on for a bygone era that I miss and love, even down to the metal ballad ways of track six, Canadian Psycho. If I could give more points for effort, I probably would. (Who am I kidding? I can give or take points as I see fit)

What it really all boils down to is some rockin’ thrash punk that I enjoy horribly entwined with a far too lowbrow theme. To be fair, however, there are 2.5 positive stars. This would seriously kick ass at a frat party and if I was still in high school I might be a bit more forgiving of the thematic elements.

I look forward to hearing more for Braincell Graveyard in the future, if only to see if stop writing songs straight from the crotch. … Time will tell.

-Jerry Actually