Slugworth – “Self Titled”
Slugworth – “Self Titled” - So you like sonic speed crunching guitars & New York Hardcore style vocal huh, well this release is full of them. It's hard to find new hardcore punk bands that don't do that post hardcore bullshit, these guys keep it middle school (Not old school or New School) and fucking rule at it. It’s a perfect album to put on when you’re in the mood to smash some shit up & break things, but as an every day record it’s not something I would be hard pressed as a must have. It’s not going to get tons of critical acclaim from anybody because it’s a NYHC style band that isn’t a household name, but my recommendation is to check Slugworth out and decide for yourself. If nothing else, you can punch a hole in a wall after the mood it puts you in. I did thoroughly enjoy the hidden cover of “I Don’t Wanna Hear it” (Minor Threat) that is hidden in the last 1:12 of the last song “The Last Time I Trusted”. So to sum it up, I liked this release, but also feel it’s one of those albums you need to be in the right mood to listen to it. 3/5
Dead Luck Devilles – “Self Titled” - On some tracks they hit the nail on the head (“Ms. Misery”), while in other they've slipped and hit their finger (“Down In Flames”), but overall, the fury of this melodic Rock-n-roll influenced EP is appealing to fans of Rockabilly/punk influenced rock-n-roll and it's safe to say that this release will be a pleasurable experience for you. Whether you're a fan of punk-infused rockabilly jams or not, I’d be quite surprised if each listener doesn't find a little something to satisfy their tastes. The music is exciting and energetic, to say the least, and the band does a fantastic job of bringing their influences forward to create their own unique blast of satisfaction. In a state of music where there's a Screamo band at every venue, and an Alternative band at every corner, Kingston, New York’s Dead Luck Devilles put all their power and ability forward to keep up with booming Rockabilly scene . Pick up this disc if you have a chance, and I guarantee you that if you like Rockabilly/punk influenced rock-n-roll, you will really enjoy this. 3.5/5
A Human and His STD’s – The Love Machine – What the fuck is going on? Seriously my stomach hurts from laughing so hard. The vocals sound like what I believe an Elf or Hobbit singer would sound like. The vocals make me think of Robin Hood Men In Tights for some reason. Almost like the singer is 3 feet tall with goaty, wearing medieval Robin Hood green tights and dancing around with 7 foot Ogres as the other band members. I can’t stop imagining this is the soundtrack to a punk musical version of 
Activist Signals – “Feel Free To Revise EP” - The production isn’t perfect, the vocals get drowned out by the instrumentals at times and vice versa. In a sea of imitators and clone bands, Activist Signals actually has an original sound both in their song writing and the production of the album. They’re on an interesting label called WeNevaStop who is dedicated to the idea that music should be free and all the releases on the label are free for download (
Down and Away – “Reclaim The Radio” This 20 song release represents a band on the brink of punk Stardom. Like other punk revival bands such as Down By Law & Face To Face the tracks are energetic and bursting with cynicism about being tired of dealing with people and their idealistic flaws as sung about in “Right Here”, “Reclaim The Radio, & Black & White” to name a few.
The Visitors – “Lost On The Globe” – The themed concept of this band is to have each song be created around a geographical location, hence the name “The Visitors”. Usually I take a look at conceptional themed music and run the other way. However, when you have the talented song writing of Skottie Lobotomy from such great bands as The Creeps (another themed band) & The Riptides, then it’s worth a listen. Well after I listened to this theme concept album, I’m glad I didn’t hop in my hotrod and hightail it out of Dodge. The entire 11 songs of “Lost On The Globe” have a revved up Ramones inspired pop punk feel that mixes whoa ohs, yeah yeah’s & harmonizing back vocals. The title song “Lost On The Globe” is a prime example of mixing all of the aforementioned effects with perfection and makes getting lost a pleasant experience. Another highlight of this album is the introduction to the vocals of female vocalist & Bassist “ANTARCTIC-CAT da GAMA, M.Sc.” taking the lead on “Spain“&
The Ray Gradys – “Rednecks, Zombies, Terrorists” – When I first popped this in the musicianship of the band really stood out as clean and precise. The rest of the album continues on in similar fashion, with emotional choruses and punchy beats. The drumming and bass is extremely tight throughout this album. Overall, the talent and production is stunning for a self-released album.
The Chemical X DVD Zine – I’ve been a fan of video zines since the 411 skate video zine, so when I received this DVD I was really excited to see how it would work out in a music format. The DVD starts out with a video montage of a graffiti artist creating a new picture with Four Deadly Questions playing the background and is followed by a great 80’s inspired video for “Razorblade” by the band Randy. The video is goofy and fun and sets the table for the rest of the DVD. Overall the DVD is filled with some live performances, some coordinated music videos & a few commercials by the zine’s sponsors. I think the creators of this DVD zine (Geykido Comet Records) did a great job of incorporating a large variety of punk music from the sub-genres of punk. The DVD allowed me to listen/view some bands I hadn’t heard and immediately after the DVD ended I ran out to my computer and looked up to listen to more from them (“Randy”, “Bobat Adrenaline” & ESL?!”). Really the only thing that I would like to see added to the DVD Zine would be a few interviews. I can see a lot of labels getting on board with this forward thinking way of introducing potential listeners to new bands. Honestly the more I think about it the more I can’t wait for the next issue to come out. 4.5/5
The Jerks – “I’m Happy”- With a name like The Jerks you get an idea of what the band is all about before you even hear the first track. The irreverence immaturity and disregard for political correctness punches you right in the lip and does not stop for 14 quick hitting songs. Does this sound like a basic recipe for old fashion punk rock the way Metal Mike & The Angry Samoans used to cook up? You better bet your mom’s strap on it is!
Die Outsiders – “Empty Hearts & Loaded Guns” - This album is a willful violation of many of the rules which are already ironically straight jacketing the punk scene. Completely devoid of political confrontations or social uplift, Die Outsiders seem to embrace the hand that they’ve been dealt that might have made many people eat bullets and generally come across like a horror-movie nightmare. The Die Outsiders want to entertain and do their own thing and that is exactly what they do brilliantly. Nearly every song on this EP delivers a light speed distorted rock-n-roll eruption. Their singer has a gift for shadowy, strong and distorted singing, making these love starved lyrics all the more enjoyable. All the songs contain flippantly ridiculous references in which the chanting voices of the band grumble about their constant diet of misadventure and ask for catastrophe instead. Each song starts on the edge and turns into an explosion of rhythm and distortion that is bound to kill anything within 50 feet of your speakers. The standout songs on this EP are “Dead City” & “Attitude” (Misfits Cover).
The Blameshifters – "Disenfranchised Anarchists" blast off with hard edged NOFX influenced SoCal-core punk rock in the vein of many bratty mile a minute punk bands. The Blameshifters possess many of the super charged characteristics of NOFX right down to the vocal harmonies that we’ve come to quickly recognize. There is a ton of tongue in cheek, politically incorrect forays into America’s upper middle class society. The band merges pop hooks & crunchy melodies with middle finger attitude just enough to attract rebellious teens just enough to appreciate the darker damage of say, Black Flags raw power. Like a CNN for disaffected suburban punks, this album rails against punk posers and politicians while defending underdog issues such personal idealism. Disenfranchised Anarchists is the type of album that will steer impressionable punk youths into the punk underground while unknowingly educating them about the dark underbelly of society. This album make up so closely resembles NOFX I first thought someone was trying to pass off NOFX as themselves. There are some subtle differences and when I played them back to back I heard the difference. The writing, the riffs, the hooks, the bass lines, the drum beats and even the singer’s speech patterns match NOFX. If you’re a fan of the NOFX of the early years there is no doubt you will find this CD entertaining. 4.5/5
Blake Incarcerated – "Demo" - Blake Incarcerated takes quite a few melodic back roads during its trip down the punk/hardcore highway. After a relatively poppy opening barrage with “My Finest Cliché”, the band launches into the enormous power chords of “Blanks & Bombshells“ & it becomes the first of four songs to hammer almost incessantly on one churning guitar note as the rhythm section stops, starts, rolls with fury underneath “Oh Corona“ often obtuse lyrical couplets. The Formula doesn’t grow old, especially when it’s paced with more tuneful moments. These cuts make an ambitious debut that left me thirsty for another long needed drink of this punk and hardcore cocktail of fireball tunes. Blake Incarcerated has some similarities to the style of “None More Black” with their energetic pace and melodic hardcore sound, but do so with a bit more of pop punk touch to their style. It’s hard for me to pinpoint a favorite song on this demo because they are all so damn good. If I HAD to choose one, I guess it would be “Blanks & Bombshells”, but you can’t go wrong with any of the songs. 5/5