Now that I listen to it for the third time I think I still don't think that we have the new savior of punk coming her way here but at least I feel like I know what this band wants to tell me. First of all they don't want to be innovative. Their inspiration derives fully from the glory days of california hardcore, from bands like Black Flag (who even got into one song title), TSOL and all the other bands that suddenly creeped out of the county and showed the Hollywood kids what anger means. But as we don't have the 80s any more there is of course slight other influences. The most important of which i would say is the Portland sound they borrow the darkness and musical misantrophy from without ever sliding into the typical d-beat. The music is always so-cal as fuck but these days there's clouds in the sky and the kids aren't out to play but to skin little puppies.

Okay, this was polemic. I'd bet these are nice guys but I really doubt that I need this record. Still I guess I am not the centre of the world I guess (at least my psychiatrist told me so) and I am damn sure that other people with love this one as it is really an excellent attempt to transfer early hardcore into the present days without ever losing the punk. At least it is better than the new Propagandhi and the cover is yellow... [jan]

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