Labels: self released
Review by: Joe Callaghan
After a considerable amount of hype surrounding this band stemming from various “gruff” punk circles, I was eagerly awaiting a good listen of this, despite their alarmingly pompous name. Upon doing so, the record is either forgettable enough to not leave a lasting impression whatsoever, or I’m just getting a little tired of the tried and tested 4 chords, octaves and bear growls by bearded ne’er do wells. It sounds accomplished enough, but it doesn’t deliver anything that the past 20 years haven’t already. Each chorus is crying out for a backing vocal that it just never gets, and the whole thing smacks of a much less tuneful Alkaline Trio but less lyrically entertaining. I’m sure the regular Fest goers will accolade this record as close to the second coming as we’re likely to see, but for me, it’s pleasant enough to not recoil in disgust and put this record in the bin, but nowhere near imposing enough to warrant a second or third listen. In fact, I retract a little of that statement. Some of the haughty, conceited lyrics and the overly forced melodies do make my stomach summersault a little. It’s excessively sensitive, packaged in a rugged, rough and tumble enclosure, yet through that hoarse, tough vocal, they still manage to bleat about heart-stopping quandaries, such as not getting the girl, or having to go to work. This neck-beard, bark-like-a-dog pop-punk is starting to lose its place with me for the time being, as I’m feeling incredibly uninspired by the constant rehashing and lack of innovation. I guess that has always been the problem with a lot of forms of punk rock and as it almost enters its 5th decade of existence; bands sounding slicker and more profound are not necessarily steps forward, unless you have something that sets you aside from countless sound-a-likes. This doesn’t. Considering the hype, I sort of expected it to. Perhaps hype is the number one cause for disappointment these days? Or maybe I just shouldn’t be optimistic, about anything, ever again, from now on.