Labels: Suburban Home
Review by: Joe Callaghan
Get over it. It’s not Gunmoll and it doesn’t sound like Gunmoll. The pace and intensity has been divided by half, and the throat tearing rasp has been pushed into the background ever so slightly. Saved for the odd chorus, but not all, which I’m sure will disappoint most. Astoundingly, In The Red excel when Mikes vocal is softer. The vocal melodies are often a little darker and nowhere near as chirpy as the gravely pop punk it is bound to be compared to. As a result, the chorus to the opening track sounds a little like Alice in Chains. Ooer. It grows remarkably quick however, and once you stop whinging about it not sounding like Gunmoll, you’ve got a decent gritty punk rock record, more in the vein of Dear You era Jawbreaker than anything that has come out of Gainesville in the past 15 years. The softer rasp is very reminiscent of Blake, but with a tad more of a thick, low, throaty chafe. This will probably not reach the agonising popularity of Gunmoll, especially at a time when rife rumours are afoot of a Gunmoll reunion, as well as In the Red just lacking that severe bite which set Gunmoll aside from the oodles of melodic punk that flooded scenes at that time. It is vocally very drab and miserable predominantly, over the top of chord structures you’ve heard before but you’ll surely welcome. It rarely races out of the blocks, but grumpily thuds along, either sulking to Mike’s dreary melodies, or thumping the basis of thick, rocking riffs. Volume 1 appeared to achieve a very negative response, mostly due to it not sounding like people wanting it to. Volume 2 is a colossal step forward, and this is nowhere near being a bad record. Still, I am very doubtful many are going to sit up and pay attention, because whilst it is better; MUCH better than Volume 1″¦ It’s not Gunmoll. It’s not even Gunmoll Junior. It’s different. None of us like change, but this record comes heartily recommended for anyone with an interest in heavy-hearted dreary punk rock. Or you can listen to one of the thousands of bands doing what Leatherface did last century. I said Gunmoll 8 times. That’s 9.