Album Review: Lose Your Delusion by A Wilhelm Scream (by Omar Ramlugon)

There’s always been something very special about A Wilhelm Scream’s records. The sheer amount of explosive riffing, shred-tastic solos and sharp, pointedly emotional but often surprisingly funny lyrics they manage to pack into each album is something quite inspiring. Arguably, this reached its high point on 2013’s Partycrasher, which incorporated even more technical metal soloing and musicianship, as well as some of their most nakedly confessional lyrics. But it’s been a long nine years since then, during which time they lost lead guitar player Mike Supina and found his replacement in the form of Senses Fail’s Jason Milbank.

With the band members now past forty, it could be understandable if Lose Your Delusion was a more sombre, reflective, slower record, especially given just how long it's taken to come together. But I’m happy to say that this isn’t what’s happened at all. The New Bedford quintet have come back out of the gate swinging with just as much fury and melody as ever before, finding a satisfying middle ground between Ruiner’s slightly poppier approach and Partycrasher’s near-metal bombast, with ‘The Enigma’ and ‘GIMMETHESHAKES’ exemplifying this splitting of the difference between those two periods of the band’s lifespan, with a ripping bass guitar solo on the latter. Lyrically, there seems to be a slightly more socio-political bite, with lines like ‘[...] And at the risk of getting sued: "Hey, ain't that America!"/ You can get shot or lick the boot. You choose’ catching you by surprise, or ‘Apocalypse Porn’s pretty unabashed screed against the United States’ continual failing of its people.

Elsewhere, ‘Yo Canada’ reminds of Strung Out’s skate punk melodic charge, while ‘Figure Eights In My Head’ is almost into ballad territory, a paean to old beloved friends. It seems like guitarist and vocalist Trevor Reilly has been given even more time to shine than before across Lose Your Delusion, his sweeter, more nasal delivery a fine counterpart to lead singer Nuno Pereira’s gut-level roar, while new string-slinger Milbank fits nicely into the group, taking a more understated approach compared to Supina’s fret pyrotechnics but still capable of some dazzlingly fast runs that will make your heart race.

‘Be One To No One’ is the album’s beating heart, a frank and candid commentary on wrestling with depression and stress set to furiously energetic melodic punk, but it also touches on the life affirming quality of your loved ones helping you through those difficult times, with lines like ‘But I don't feel like a waste / I'm no longer a drain [...] You couldn't matter more to me / And that ain't no lie’ as bracing as they are uplifting.

Lose Your Delusion is a welcome return from one the most talented and most sincere bands in punk rock. While not everything works as well as Partycrasher, the fact that the band are still willing to upend their apple cart this far into their career speaks volumes as to their artistry, as demonstrated by ‘Downtown Start II’ where Pereira drops his hardcore snarl for the verses, revealing a rich and smooth baritone singing voice almost reminiscent of Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan, and in the process adding yet another layer to one of the best songs on the album.

It’s a really good album, and if you’re already a Wilhelm fan then you will have undoubtedly already bought/streamed this by now. But for anyone with a nose for fast, melodic punk with finger-burning guitar solos and lyrics that range from snarky and biting to nakedly confessional, this is for you.

Stream and download Lose Your Delusion on Bandcamp.

Like A Wilhelm Scream on Facebook.

This review was written by Omar Ramlugon.

Album Review: Best by Forever Unclean

We’ve been following the work of Danish indie skate punk trio Forever Unclean since the release of their first EP, Shreds, back in 2015. Since then, it’s been absolutely amazing seeing the band grow with each release. Not only has each release been better than the last, they’ve also continued to build a following each time they’ve made their way to the UK to play some shows. Seeing them play to a packed New Cross Inn for Do It Together Fest in early 2020 was one of my highlights of the entire weekend. Something has been missing though and that was a full length release from the band. On New Year’s Day that was finally remedied when the band, with the support of Disconnect Disconnect Records, Hidden Home Records and Nasty Cut Records, released Best. I’d been eagerly awaiting the release for months after drummer Leo mentioned a full length was coming when he appeared on the CPRW Podcast. It then took me forever to get around to reviewing it because sometimes I’m slow. Here it is though, my review of Best.

Looking at the tracklist before hitting play, it’s nice to see Forever Unclean sticking with their tradition of short, one word track names. Best begins with Dream. Dream starts with just some guitar and Lasse’s familiar vocals before the entire band comes in. The song is about the realities of going on tour and how, despite it seeming like you’re living out on your dreams, it can be very hard on you mentally. A solid start to the album. Persona was one of the songs that was released as a single before Best’s release. Persona is about learning that it’s okay to be the person you are and not feeling like you have to be somebody else. I really liked the crunch that the opening guitars had before flowing into the usual Forever Unclean sound. There are moments during the song where Lasse’s vocals sound at their most strained which adds a lot of anguish to the song. Rules is just thirty-three seconds – which is short even by Forever Unclean standards. During the track, Lasse asks many questions about dealing with a social situation and not knowing how to act. Despite the short song length the band manage to pack a lot in, which is impressive.

The fourth song is named Crowds. The song continues with the theme of struggling to be yourself and not knowing how to conduct yourself in a social situation. I really liked the line “and it seems like such a waste of breath, to berate my ceiling.” This creates such a good image of laying in your bed with your mind running through your day and over-thinking all the things you should have done or said. I also enjoyed the “ba ba ba ba” section which will unite a crowd in singing along. Woods was another song that was picked as a single. The track starts slowly before the vocals come in and the song explodes into life. This slower moment is great, giving you a short rest after what, so far, has been a pretty relentless album. Once again, the lyrics do a wonderful job of painting a picture. On this occasion it’s the band and their friends when they were younger going off into the woods with their guitars and having a wonderful time. As the song goes on, there becomes a bit of a divide between the friends with one half wanting to have fun forever and the others thinking that they can’t live like that forever. This is a thing that happens in most friendship groups, so a lot of people will be able to relate to the song. The sixth song, Mandy, sadly isn’t a Barry Manilow cover. It is, however, a nice love song about how spending time with that special someone is a great escape from the horror that can be life. This is a super catchy song that you’ll pick up in no time – I’m certain it will get great reactions from live crowds whenever the band play it. Scars, another single released in the album’s build up, is another short song that manages to pack a lot into its duration. It’s a song of two halves. The first is just Lasse and his guitar and the second is the full band. I like the effect that is seemingly created by Lasse standing a bit further away from the microphone in the recording. It has the great live feeling to it.

Kold is the first song that the band have released where the band use their mother tongue, Danish. As handy as it is that bands sing in English, I do always enjoy when foreign bands put out songs in their own language as well. After a quick Google translate, I deduced that the Kold is about feeling emotionless, cold and soulless and just not caring about anything anymore. Anyone who’s suffered with depression at any point will no doubt understand the feelings in this song, assuming they speak Danish or use Google translate (probably quite hard to do if you’re watching the band live though). Kold also has a really cool guitar riff at the start that pulls you in and will get stuck in your head. Lasse delivers a stunning vocal performance on the ninth song, Broken. The emotion in their voice, particular during intro of the song is quite something to experience. At a lengthy two minutes and thirty seconds, this is the longest song on Best. I think they needed that extended time to achieve everything they wanted to with the song. There’s a slow bit, a big sing-along, melody changes and even some backing vocals (I think they’re drummer Leo’s) during the track. There’s absolutely loads going on. Listen for yourself to experience it all. The penultimate song on Best is titled Smile. Leo puts in one hell of a performance behind the drums on this song. He powers the band through the first half of the track before the band slow things back down for a more emotional ending to the song and it’s completed with some gang vocals. I do love gang vocals. Best is completed with the song Change. To me, this is Forever Unclean’s attempt at a country song and I love it. The opening of the song invites another big sing-along and it’s not too long before the band revert to the indie skate punk sound that they’ve become so well known for and then they switch to a huge sounding segment to finish the album off in the Best way possible.

I always think of Forever Unclean as a UK band despite the fact that they’re based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and are Danish. The reason being is that they’ve become a big part of the UK punk community during the last few years and, like I said in the intro, it always feels as if they play to bigger and bigger crowds whenever they return to the UK. With the release of Best I feel like they’ll be playing to their biggest UK crowds ever. We shouldn’t have to wait long to see them again either as they’re due in the UK for Manchester Punk Festival in April. I cannot wait to see them again.

Stream and download Best on Bandcamp here.

Like Forever Unclean on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Fuckin' Woo by Flangipanis

If you happened to read my end of year list at the end of 2021 then you might have seen that I included the album Fuckin’ Woo by Flangipanis in it. As most of the readers of CPRW are either based in the UK or America, I suspect that you haven’t heard of the Brisbane, Australia, four piece so I figured I should give the album a proper review. Mostly because it gives me an excuse to spend an afternoon listening to the album again and partly because if more folk in the UK become fans of the band, then there’s more chance they’ll be able to do a UK tour. That would be nice. Fuckin’ Woo is fifteen brand new songs from the band in just twenty-seven minutes and it is the follow up to their excellent Community Backwash EP which was released in 2019.

Brand New Day feels like the perfect choice to start the album and not just because of its title. It’s a bouncy and fun track that has an air of familiarity to it. Perfect for welcoming you into Fuckin’ Woo. Despite the cheerful sound of the song, it’s actually about a much deeper issue regarding mental health. It looks into the positive and negative sides of your thoughts fighting each other and the turmoil that that can leave you in. Flangipanis follow this up with a short hardcore song called Present with the repeating lyric “I hope you like your present cunt.” This is the crass side of Flangipanis that I always get a little kick out of. They can do the deep and meaningful stuff but they’re never afraid to go for the ridiculous and offensive as well. The third song on the album is named Run Away. Run Away is a great example of how to do melodic skate punk music really well. It begins slowly with a gradual build and some “whoa-ohs” that begin to get you hyped. The tempo begins to increase and then Jodie’s killer vocals come in and it’s time to go. I adored the melody on the verses, it hooks you in wonderfully. The band fly through the first half of the song before we reach a breakdown that includes some killer harmonies backing Jodie’s vocals to complete the song.

You Don’t Have To Be A Cunt comes next. I hate the c-word but I couldn’t help but smile when I listened to it. I don’t want to say lyrical genius because that would be silly but the level of word play here is pretty impressive. Definitely not what I was expecting when I first read the title of the song. The track is about being a good person and not a bad person. It’s that simple. I enjoyed the vocal trade offs during the song. It’s fast and has so much energy. Loved it. Next is Good Little Taxpayer. This sees the band step into the world of politics. All of the bouncy fun that was on the first four tracks on the album are gone. This is Flangipanis at their most serious. It’s about all of the wrong doing that governments are doing (I’m sure the band are talking in particular about the Australian government but it certainly works for the UK’s as well) and encourages people to make a stand against them. It’s nice to see the band branch out and write a song about this topic. Worthless is a Flangipanis love song. It’s about not feeling like you have any worth but it’s okay when you’re with someone that you love.

The seventh song on Fuckin’ Woo is named Faking It. This is a ferocious punk rock song with the vocals being jam packed with venom. The song is less than ninety seconds long and is relentless. The use of the second vocalist once again adds to the energy of the song and it also adds some aggression which works really well. This is one of those songs that will really get a mosh pit amped up when the band play it live. Clothes was one of the stand out songs when I first listened to the album. Not only is it ridiculously catchy but it also feels extremely important. It’s about how Jodie used to love taking her clothes off at shows but had to stop because of men being creepy perverts. Jodie goes on to call out those men on the song. I feels like a big feminist anthem. If women want to take their clothes off at shows, they should be able to without men making unwanted sexual advances. Train Ciggie is another short, hard and fast song. It’s simply about not liking when people try and smoke on trains or when people try and spark up conversation. I’m with the band on both of these points. Writing this review I’ve learnt that durrie is an Australian slang word for cigarette – there’s a fun fact for you, for reading this far. The song is finished with a shift in melody where the band slow things down and have a group sing-along of “train ciggie, train ciggie, ciggie on a train.”

Skate sees bass player Paul take over lead vocal duties as Flangipanis skank into the realm of ska punk. This was another stand out and not just because my love of ska punk music. The track tells a story of a love of skateboarding and how when you were younger you would spend all of your free time doing this thing you love with your friends. The lyrics in the song create such a visual story, I’m surprised to see the band haven’t yet made a video for the song. Moving Out is an interesting song as the lyrics for the song were all taken from freepunklyrics.tumblr.com which is a blog that began by two friends writing super clichéd punk lyrics. As I’m listening to the song for a fifth time whilst reviewing it, I think I can also hear the riff from The Offspring’s Self Esteem but I may have just convinced myself in my head – have a listen and decide for yourself. The twelfth song on Fuckin’ Woo is Snacks At The Bar and it’s Jodie’s turn at a ska song. Flanigpanis are joined by the brass section of Blowhard for the song. When I first listened to the album, I was not expecting ska and I certainly wasn’t expecting a four piece horn section to appear and it’s a very welcome surprise. The song is about going out, trying to impress someone and making sure to remember the snacks at the bar. Both verses in the track will have you getting your knees up and having a wonderful time skanking away.

Asshole Aunt is a song about Jodie being a terrible aunt. Throughout the song they list all the reasons that they should not be a role model for the child and it’s equal parts terrifying and hilarious. This is one of those times where Jodie shows what a good lyricist they are even if the song is pretty vulgar. If you have a dark sense of humour then this is a song for you. Not all songs have to change the world and make you think. Sometime you just want to be amused and smile and Asshole Aunt does that for me. The penultimate song on Fuckin’ Woo is titled Perfectly Average. This track talks about being just one of the seven billion people on the planet and constantly feeling as if you’re not making any progress in your life but trying to make the best of it. There’s a nice positive feeling that comes from the song that gives me a great vibes. The fifteenth and final song on the album is Small Talk. I’m big on albums finishing with a bang, especially if they have a lot of tracks like Fuckin’ Woo does and Flangipanis deliver here. The final song is the party that I suspect Flangipanis always bring when they play live. The song starts slowly but quickly shifts into top gear as the band race through the chorus in a full throttle kind of way. The song is about cutting out small talk and just partying like it’s your last night on earth. There are plenty of “whoa-oh” moments and chances for the band’s audience to shout the words back at the band. The perfect way to end an incredible album.

I bloody love Flanipanis. Everything they release makes me really happy. I’m fully aware they won’t be everyone’s pint of pepsi as humour is a very subjective thing, as all art is, but they’re definitely worth taking a chance on. I think you’ll be surprised. The more I listen to it, the more things I find that I think are really important to hear in the current climate. There are songs about mental health, politics, feminism and living your best life. I listen to music because it makes me happy, Flangipanis make me really, really happy. I hope they do for you as well.

Stream and download Fuckin' Woo on Bandcamp here.

Like Flangipanis on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: All We Could Afford by The Strikeouts (by Brett Coomer)

The Strikeouts is a punk rock band from Sweden made up of 5 guys who like punk rock. They have a cool logo and have recently released an EP called All We Could Afford. That’s about as much information I was able to find from the Internet about them but that’s OK, the 7 songs on this EP speak for themselves and offer a great introduction to the band.

The opening track and first single, ‘Fake News’, is about the inauthentic “influencers” that seem to dominate social media with their obvious bias and paid-for opinions. The hard-hitting drums and catchy chorus make ‘Fake News’ a great example of what to expect from the rest of the EP.

At first, ‘Somethings Gotta Give’ feels more light-hearted in its lyrics; but, after listening closely, the song reveals a desire to be less cynical in a world full of things you hate and to find a different perspective. It’s one of the more pop-punky tracks on the EP, although it doesn’t stray too far outside of the skate punk lane by including a few lead guitar riffs and featuring a pogo-worthy breakdown around the half-way mark.

‘Breaking Point’ turns the energy levels up again, speeding things up a bit to get our heads bobbing and testing the rhythm-challenged amongst us to tap our foot faster while staying in time. The background “woah-woah”s and “how much more”s throughout the song make me think this would be a great song for crowd participation. The energy level is maintained with track four, ‘Slammed’, which reminds me of the best parts of Pennywise. I can easily imagine the bassist asking for the Randy Bradbury “Full Circle” settings before pressing record in the studio.

‘This Goddamn Generation’ is the second single and another song that tends towards a more pop-punk influence. It has a super catchy chorus with a great melody and a message about how newer generations are sometimes unfairly criticised without the understanding that they are not only influenced by the world around them but also the earlier generations that brought them up.

For a slight change of pace, ‘Intimidate Me’ offers some variation with cleaner and groove-laden verses moving into heavier double-time choruses. The mid-tempo parts of the song never feel out of place and show that the band is capable of crafting a song with dynamics that harken back to the likes of Rise Against.

The last track, ‘Flat Earth Anthem’, starts off with drums and guitar riffs that feel like they could be outtakes from Strung Out’s early catalogue. It’s the shortest song and is fun and fast with a big ending. It’s a great way to conclude the EP, making you want to click that repeat button and start again.

Throughout All We Could Afford, The Strikeouts make no attempt to hide their leanings toward melodic skate punk with a few pop-punk and technical flourishes added in to keep things fresh. They execute it really well and the nods to the “EpiFat” 90s era punk offers comfortable feelings of nostalgia and makes for a very enjoyable listen. If you’re a fan of bands like FOD, Mute, Rise Against or the non-frat aspect of Pennywise, you will have blast listening to this EP, which I hope is a taste of more to come from The Strikeouts.

Stream All We Could Afford from these places and like The Strikeouts on Facebook here.

This review was written by Brett Coomer.

Gig Review: Breakup Haircut at New Cross Inn, London 16/11/21

Ever since seeing Dundee’s ALLDEEPENDS at Book Yer Ane Fest in 2019, I’ve been desperate to see them again. Obviously a pandemic delayed that enormously but things began to get better and, to my surprise and delight, ALLDEEPENDS got booked at for a gig at my beloved New Cross Inn by Alright Mate Promotions. They were on a fantastic looking mixed genre bill with Tim Loud, Making Friends and Breakup Haircut and I could not wait for the night to come around.

Tim Loud opened the show with his own brand of acoustic/country punk. Tim had been on tour throughout the UK prior to the show and this was my first time seeing him live since an early edition of MPF where he did the show wearing some striking face paint. Tim is a fantastic songwriter, musician and storyteller and it was fantastic to see him back on stage again. It wasn’t the biggest of crowds, it was early on a Tuesday night after all, but Tim managed to captivate the crowd whether it was with his six string, twelve string, his harmonica or voice. I’ve said this before – and Tim put it on his tour poster – but he is an exceptionally talented individual. The set was sprinkled with old favourites and some new ones written during lockdown. A mixture of slower bluesy numbers and rowdier anthems, all played with a lot of charm and passion. It was good to see Tim play live again.

ALLDEEPENDS were the next band to take to the stage. The three piece had also been on a short UK tour and had been making new friends wherever they had been. I know from punk celebrity Sarah of Shout Louder that they had had a particularly impressive showing in Manchester earlier in the tour. I’m not sure many of the fine folk at the gig had much of an idea what to expect from the band when they took to the stage but they certainly became fans thirty minutes later. For those unaware, ALLDEEPENDS play a crunching mix of folk and hardcore with rapid fire vocals and massive hooks. They are one of the most unique and interesting bands in the UK at the moment. The set was a mixture of songs from their debut EP My Name Is and some unreleased tracks that I assume will be on their debut LP – whenever they get that out to the world. As I stood watching the stage I heard some folk around me comment how good the drumming was, as well as my favourite quote of the night – “I didn’t know you could make that noise with a banjo.” Nicholas, John and Hooligan played a stunning set and I hope it’s not long before they’re back in New Cross. I’m positive that they’ll be very welcome.

Up next were a band I had heard a lot of great things about and was looking forward to seeing live for the first time, Brighton’s Making Friends. Fronted by Ryan Mansell, formerly of Fastfade, the band play super fast, melodic skate punk that wouldn’t feel out of place on a 90s Fat Wreck compilation. The foursome launched into the set with a lot of energy and burned through their songs. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a band squeeze that many songs into a thirty minute set. I assume they played all the songs they’ve released so far plus some unreleased material. I was super impressed with how tight the band were. At this point, they can’t have played that many shows together but it looked as if they had been playing together for years and years. It was also clear that the band were having a lot of fun together on the stage and this feeling definitely spilled into the crowd. At one point, I assume to catch their breath, they took a moment to shout out seemingly everyone in the room which was nice. Making Friends seem to be playing as many gigs as possible right now, so if you get the chance to see them I highly recommend you take it. A fantastic new band in the UK skate punk scene.

The last band of the night was Breakup Haircut from London. I first became aware of the band thanks to my good buddy Katie MF and have had the pleasure of featuring them on CPRW and CPRW Records in the past but this was my first time seeing them live. To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the band in a live setting but I was pleasantly surprised and seriously impressed. Playing a fun brand of indie and garage pop punk, it didn’t take long for Breakup Haircut to get the NXI crowd moving. I can’t remember the last time I saw a band whose music was so infectious. Breakup Haircut managed to get the audience in the palm of their collective hands almost instantly and it was bloody wonderful. Despite still being a relatively new band on the scene, I believe they met and formed at a First Timers workshop at DIY Space For London (RIP) a couple of years ago, the band had such confidence on the stage and were an absolute joy to watch. It was nice to see the band utilise three different singers, all with their own unique style but all still feeling very Breakup Haircut. The between song banter was also extremely charming, as the band playfully joked around with everyone. It felt like they were letting everyone else in the room into their little gang. I really enjoyed the set and was quite sad that we had to chip off a little before their set finished to catch our train home. I look forward to seeing them live again, hopefully soon. Is it over-exaggerating to say that Breakup Haircut may be the future of the UK indie punk scene? Maybe, but it also wouldn’t surprise me to see them really take off. Check them out before they do!

Thanks to Alright Mate Promotions for a wonderful Tuesday night of punk rock. It was a lovely time, with lovely people and fantastically talented bands. What more could anyone want on a Tuesday night?

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Make Arcade Great Again by Krang (by Theo Martin-Herbert)

20 minutes of catchy, political pop-punk greets you on this fantastic release by Krang, Make Arcade Great Again. It never slows down and keeps you hooked track after track.

The opening track 'Time Is Ticking' introduces the incredibly able mix of fast punk and anthemic touches that permeate the entire release. Lyrics stay in your head days after and help the band get their ideals across. Tracks like 'Melt All The Guns' hit particularly hard and stick around thanks to the sweetness of the melodies they use, never outstaying their welcome.

The production matches the proficiency in the songwriting, super crisp and punchy with some excellent full guitar tones that never lose their clarity. It's an absolute delight to take in along with the vocals that sit so well in the mix. As a bit of a tone nerd, I definitely took down some notes from this one and helped turn this into a frequent listen for me. If you're a fan of a great modern pop-punk sound with more to offer idealistically, check this one out as soon as possible. It's short, sweet and intelligent – all things worth your time.

Stream and download Make Arcade Great Again on Bandcamp here.

Like Krang on Facebook here.

This review was written by Theo Martin-Herbert.

Album Review: Ollie Ollie Oxen Free by Authority Zero (by Theo Martin-Herbert)

It's an absolute pleasure to listen to something so precise and perfectly designed for what the group is going for. Authority Zero's latest, ''Ollie Ollie Oxen Free'', instantly hits with an understanding of what it is and what you're in for, confidently and effortlessly introducing the listener to the beginning of a perfect pop punk album. However, it does manage to deftly avoid any writing clichés, I was constantly surprised throughout by how song structures winded in and out of choruses, how those choruses gave you just enough of what you know and love while giving you a fresh take or an entirely new angle. Definitely the sound of a confident and able band having fun, creating a record that's an absolute joy to listen to.

Appreciation has also got to be given to the production, the guitars have a fantastic and growly energy while keeping a high-end sizzle and clarity, making every lead line cut and every rhythmic part chunk underneath and keep the bounce. Absolutely fantastic stuff and I'll certainly have to nerd about on some forums to check out what gear was used on the record. The energy and bounce of the record is catapulted by the slick production by Cameron Webb, with the band noting in various interviews that he helped push the positive vibe of the lyrics and the pushed the music of the band to try approaches such as working from drum ideas to create full songs. It really shows in the freshness of the tracks throughout, a record such as this that is so dedicated to a sound can really slow down towards the last third of the album, but Authority Zero deftly avoid this, striding throughout and keeping their own pace.

With "Ollie Ollie Oxen Free", Authority Zero have crafted an absolutely fantastic experience. Fresh, confident and inspiring, definitely a perfect antidote to the past couple of years, I heavily recommend grabbing this record and letting it wash away the negativity we've all experienced as we close out the year. Fantastic stuff.

Stream and download Ollie Ollie Oxen Free on Bandcamp here.

Like Authority Zero on Facebook here.

This review was written by Theo Martin-Herbert.

Album Review: You Didn't Doubt by Chartreux (by Chris Bishton)

You Didn't Doubt This is the debut from Leipzig's German punks Chartreux. Released on the always brilliant Gunner Records earlier this year, it's only seven songs long which, for me, makes it too stretched to be an EP, but a little short to be classed as a full album. Not that this is in anyway a problem and, as the saying goes, all killer, no filler. Mini album anyone? Further, given the band only played their first show in February last year just before everything stopped, it's obviously been a tricky time to record and release anything so I'm willing to go with the band's assertion this is their first full length record. And it's a great first full length too – DIY skate punk meets hardcore, but with a bit of gruff Gainesville influenced sing-a-long anthemic punk in the mix as well.

The opening track is Role Play. A raucous and blisteringly quick start, with lyrics that are gruff and shouted in English. The guitar playing reminds me of 90s/00s Pulley, although the vocals are definitely grittier. It slows a little towards the end, but at less than two minutes, it still flashes by.

The blink and you'll miss it MO continues with Harriet. Having listened to the (mini) album a few times now, I actually think this is probably my favourite track. It's also under two minutes, but the vocals are a little more jaunty and lend themselves to a sweaty room, gang sing-along.

The lengthy (just over two minutes, haha) Nods And Handshakes is the third track. By now as a listener, I know what to expect and it's obviously nothing particularly different or out of place, but it's still solid, shouty punk with a great swagger to it.

The rest of the album follows suit. Liberation Day is perhaps the most "hardcore" of the remaining songs. Screeched, sweary vocals remind me of a track that you might hear on a Pears album. It's fast, then slow, angry and passionate.

The album concludes with Repeat Rewind. At three minutes it's epic in duration compared to some of the other songs, which is mainly down to a 20 second intro. However, the pace and passion isn't compromised and there's no cutesy, whimsical finish to this record. As the title suggests, it simply leaves me wanting to put the whole thing on again right back at the start.

German punk is in a great place at the moment. Peers and contemporaries include Arterials, Hell & Back, Captain Asshole, Sidewalk Surfers, Primetime Failure (I could go on, but you get the idea) and I fully expect Chartreux to become a regular fixture on the Booze Cruise line-up. If I ever get to Hamburg, they'll be another of my "must see" German bands.

Stream and download You Didn't Doubt on Bandcamp here.

Like Chartreux on Facebook here.

This review was written by Chris Bishton.

Album Review: Our Hell Is Right Here by Drones (by Robyn Pierce)

Drones is one of the many awesome bands I’ve discovered through Manchester Punk Festival, and I was an early fan of theirs in 2018 when their first album Exiled came out. Their debut release already showed an intense, high-energy band, with amazing musicianship and a sharp socio-political focus, and it was easily one of my favourite albums of that year. So, I was really happy when they announced that they’d be releasing their next album on Lockjaw Records in February, and the album title of Our Hell Is Right Here seemed to suggest that Drones may once again be calling out social injustice and exploring difficult issues. The band has been through some tough times and had to overcome the additional challenge of recording during a pandemic, which perhaps makes this album a little more special. After getting into it, it’s clear the second album still has all of the lashing energy of the first but also includes more personal topics and a gritty but hopeful energy.

The album bursts open with ‘Please Vacate the Planet’, hitting you right away with pounding drums and ripping guitars. These are soon joined by Lois McDougall’s powerful vocals, which all work together to give Drones the big and layered sound I’ve come to love. It’s a lot like Rise Against, particularly their older faster-tempo songs, although Lois’s unique voice really sets them apart. The first track is quickly followed by the aggressive self-love of ‘Live and Let Live’ and the title track ‘Our Hell Is Right Here’, both backed by big hooks and a driving beat. In the first, Lois sings about having the courage to be yourself and not striving for external validation, while the latter delves more heavily into shared pain and betrayal. ‘Manipulate’ completes this high-tempo start to the album, including some gorgeous background “woahs”, before slowing things down with a call to ‘Listen’. ‘Listen’ is a short acoustic song with some beautiful synth embellishments, reassuring those who may be struggling with mental illness or who “feel like dying” that they’re not alone and that someone is willing to listen.

‘Learn’ is the longest song on the album at just over four and a half minutes, building up some staccato guitar chords into a soaring chorus, with some added technical flourishes here and there. It’s a song that really showcases the band’s prowess as musicians and as songwriters. Next up is ‘Josephine’, which was released as a lead single together with a trippy animated music video featuring a dangerous space mission, alien strippers, and overindulgence. It’s driven by a fantastic central riff and a catchy chorus, strategically slowing down in parts just to build right back up to a glorious rip-roaring ending. Coming into the second half of the album, ‘Lost in translation’ is a blistering two-minute track about emotional vulnerability and how “you’ve got to learn how to share if you want to live”. ‘Epitaph’ is a solemn mid-pace song about the terrible things the mind whispers in our darkest moments, while ‘Colourblind’ leans a little more into hardcore and ‘Grey Matters’ delivers more fist-pumping goodness. ‘Void’ has a killer breakdown that I would just love to hear live, and the whole album wraps up with the rousing call to action of ‘Warning Signs’.

Our Hell Is Right Here is an excellent second album from Drones, with gloriously big guitar riffs, incredible vocals, and raging melodies. While the songs differ to those on their first album in turning their attention inward to more personal matters, it’s a welcome reminder that we owe just as much to ourselves as we do to others. This is an album that celebrates resilience, grit, as well as vulnerability, and delivers high-energy hooks from start to finish.

Stream and download Our Hell Is Right Here on Bandcamp here.

Like Drones on Facebook here.

This review was written by Robyn Pierce.

Album Review: A Beginner's Guide by Making Friends

Since London/Brighton skate punks FastFade split in 2019, lead singer and guitarist Ryan Mansell has been a very busy man. Not only did he start emo punks Maisonette, who have a new EP due to be released on INiiT Records in the future, he also formed a new skate punk band named Making Friends. Back in May the four piece, which also features Daniel Farrell, Bill Laken and Pete Thomas, released a second EP titled A Beginner’s Guide. Unsurprisingly, the EP’s four songs clock in at just eight and a half minutes so expect some fast and short songs ahead. For me, that’s how I enjoy my skate punk so I’m quite looking forward to listening to this.

The EP starts with Goodbye Forever. The song starts how you might expect a skate punk song to start – there is a pounding drumbeat driving the song forward and a technical guitar riff that really catches your ear. When Ryan’s vocals come in the music drops out, I really liked this as it made me really listen to what was being said. From there the song continues along the traditional skate punk route. Ryan’s vocals feel urgent and are backed by some great harmonies. I loved the switch towards the end of the song when Goodbye Forever jumps into a moody emo style. I didn’t see it coming and it’s a fantastic surprise. The second track is titled Happy Complaint. This track starts out slower than the previous one with a bass line opening proceedings before being joined by the rest of the band. The drums in particular give the song a high tempo feel but the vocals contrast this brilliantly with a more melodic style that again really catches your attention. Midway through the song a great guitar solo comes in to give the song an extra dimension before the song finishes in a more urgent fashion.

Early Grave is a bit of a throwback to Ryan’s previous work with FastFade. There’s that big Captain Everything influence in the guitars and it feels as if Making Friends have really raised the tempo. The track is about trying to run away and escape your problems, something we’ve all wanted to do at some point. It’s great to hear a band like Making Friends who are in their early twenties tackle mental health in a song. The song has a brilliant feeling of catharsis during the finale with a big sing-along of “why should I pick up the pieces, when I could just run away, can I take these useless feelings, with me to my early grave.” The final song on A Beginner’s Guide is titled Ant. The song is not even ninety seconds long but seems to pack a huge amount into it. The tempo and melodies are all over the place on the song, continually keeping you guessing what’s next? I feel like a song like this just shouldn’t work but Making Friends have impressively made it work. Ant is about having a friend who brings you down and stepping away from that relationship.

What I really loved about this EP was how fresh it sounds. Making Friends take the skate punk genre and breathe new life into it with a variety of styles and influences. Big things are clearly on the horizon for the band.

Stream and download A Beginner's Guide on Bandcamp here.

Like Making Friends on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Four D: The Winter Suite by Second Player Score

Second Player Score are a three piece band from Vancouver, WA. Describing themselves as a #nerdcore band, they have a sound very reminiscent of the 90s skate punk scene. The band have become known for wonderfully catchy songs as well as having plenty of hooks. In February, the band released their newest EP – Four D: The Winter Suite. This is my first exposure to the band and I found a new favourite.

The four track EP begins with the song The Flow. It starts in a great up-tempo fashion with some siren-like guitars and some heavy drums. When the vocals begin, they add a great melody to the song that really pulls you in. I really enjoyed the contrast with the wordy verses and the more simplistic chorus; this really gives the song a distinct feel. In perhaps an homage to Bad Religion, the chorus has some great harmonies. When I first heard the second song, That Escalated Quickly, I was quickly reminded of Swedish skate punk legends Millencolin. Musically the song has a punchy rhythm, with the vocals doing most of the work with the melody. Second Player Score add in a great guitar solo midway through the track which then leads into a building verse and final chorus that brings the song to a great conclusion. The song is about how things can quickly go horribly wrong just when you think things are going okay for you.

Winner Takes It All sees the band go down more of a ska sound which I really enjoyed. This is such a positive and uplifting song about not giving up and going for your dreams. Lyrically the song is extremely simple. This simplicity makes the song so much more impactful, which I guess is what you want from a song like this. CPRW Records has just released a compilation packed with positive and uplifting songs, I’m sad that I hadn’t heard this song earlier as it would have been perfect for it. The fourth and final song is titled Dark Night Of The Soul. Second Player Score slow things down on this track. This gives the song that wonderful epic feeling that all final songs should have. Given the song’s title and the heavier nature of the sound, it would be fair to say that I was surprised to find the song so uplifting. The track is about holding on to hope no matter how difficult things may seem. Starting out slowly, the song builds and builds as it progresses towards its first chorus that will hopefully make anyone not feeling good feel at least a little better.

Four D: The Winter Suite is such an impressive release. It’s quite throwback in sound but doesn’t sound dated. The second half of the EP in particular was sublime. It’s such a positive ending and something that is important for people to hear. If you’re a fan of bands like Millencolin, Bad Religion or anything released by Epitaph twenty years ago, I’m sure you’ll love this.

Stream and download Four D: The Winter Suite on Bandcamp here.

Like Second Player Score on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Leapfrog by Trashed Ambulance

Canada’s Trashed Ambulance have been together in one form or another since 2014 and the three piece have become known for their snotty vocalled melodic skate punk. In January they released a brand new EP titled Leapfrog on Thousand Island Records.

The first of the three songs on Leapfrog is titled On The Mend. The song starts with a slow build featuring some distinctive vocals that pull you in alongside a simple melody. This eases you in to the whole EP brilliantly and will also get you singing along. There’s a great sense of urgency in the song that keeps you listening and I particularly enjoyed the guitar solo that leads towards the final chorus of the track. What a great start. Next is the EP’s title track, Leapfrog. This is a more emotional song dedicated to a lost friend of the band. The band turn down the snotty style of their vocals and there are some No Use For A Name vibes in the song, particularly with some soaring harmonies. The buzzing guitar riff gives the song more of a pop punk sound that makes it super accessible from the start. The tempo of the vocals gives it plenty of energy and the shift in melody for the second half of the track for a repetitive and building chorus is a thing of beauty. The gang vocals give so much to the song’s finale. I loved this song. Last up is Delinquent. Trashed Ambulance return to their debauchery ways with this song about petty crimes and always getting away with it. This is a fast and fun skate punk song that will get a crowd singing along with big smiles on their faces. This is Trashed Ambulance at their raucous best. I have this image of the band playing this song live in my head and there being a massive stage invasion for the song with a massive gang vocal choir. It would be glorious.

This is a short but fun EP from Trashed Ambulance. I’m hoping that it will lead on to a future full length from the band as it really whet my appetite for more new tracks from the band. This is exactly how I want to hear my skate punk.

Stream and download Leapfrog on Bandcamp here.

Like Trashed Ambulance on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Cobwebs by Burning Nickels

If you’ve been following our CPRW Records releases closely you hopefully should have already heard of Burning Nickels. Burning Nickels are a three piece band from Alberta, Canada, who play melodic pop punk. Since 2018 the band have been consistently releasing new songs on High End Denim records. On March the 2nd they release their newest EP Cobwebs. We were lucky enough to get an early listen.

The four track EP opens with the title track, Cobwebs. Burning Nickels were kind enough to send us a super early version of the track to use on our Hidden Gems 2 compilation that we released in January. This is a updated version of the track. It’s a upbeat piece of melodic pop punk in a similar vein to bands such as No Use For A Name and Bracket. On my first listen of the track what really stands out is the flow of vocals during the verse alongside a truly impressive guitar part. The track is about feeling depressed but gradually realising things can get better. The second track is Sentiment which is a Trashed Ambulance cover. Musically the song sounds smoother than the original but Alex Goldfarb of Debt Neglector’s guest vocals add the gruffness you hear in Trashed Ambulance’s version. The song is about dealing with mental health issues and questioning why you are going through these struggles. I really like the imagery that the audio clip at the end of the song presents. Have a listen to find out why I think it’s so smart.

The UK’s Sam Russo makes a guest appearance on the third song, Bootstraps. This song is perhaps the most varied song on the EP so far. The track combines the poppiest of pop punk alongside some heavier skate punk moments as well as Russo breaking your heart as only he can. Bootstraps is about the ending of a relationship and coming to terms with everything that’s happened along with worrying how much more anguish you can take emotionally. The final track on the EP is titled Summer Boner. This song is a retrospective song that also has a bit of a silly side. It’s about looking back on a past summer romance and realising that you had stronger feelings than your first thought. This is one of those great songs that’s fantastic at painting an image with its lyrics. It really allows the listener to visualise the story of the song in their heads. Imagery is such a important part of songwriting and Burning Nickels do such a good job here. There are also some very juvenile lyrics that did make me smile, as I am still a child at heart.

Burning Nickels are one of the most fun bands I’ve discovered over the past year but they are also very capable of writing some serious songs that listeners will really relate to and hopefully get a feeling of catharsis from. It’s clear that the band aren’t the type to sit for too long and I’m already looking forward to what they do next.

Pre-order Cobwebs on Bandcamp here.

Like Burning Nickels on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Revolving Doors by …Whatever That Means

We first featured …Whatever That Means back in 2016 after they released a fantastic split with Burn Burn Burn. Now, after four long years, the band have released their third full length album – Revolving Doors. The Seoul, South Korea based three piece play melodic pop punk music and are one of the hardest working bands in Asia. Over the years they’ve played shows with Strike Anywhere, FCFive, The One Thought Moment and NoOpinion. When I saw that Revolving Doors had been released, I was super keen to revisit a band I enjoyed so much four years ago.

The album begins with its title track, Revolving Doors. The song is just fifty three seconds long but is really memorable due to its catchy lyrics. The song is about feeling as if you’re stuck in a cycle and constantly having to start again. Perhaps this a nod to the length of time between releases. Next up is Prisoner 503 (The President). The track begins with a Korean language audio clip which features some guitar tone being faded in before the vocals come in. Whereas Revolving Doors was quite a poppy track, Prisoner 503 feels like a 90s skate punk favourite that’s been freshened up. The track is about two sides of the political landscape coming together when they know that things aren’t right and need a change. The gang vocals shouts of “who are you working for?!” work really well as a tool to combine a crowd and I imagine this is quite powerful in a live setting. Up next is Can’t Be Wrong. What I really enjoyed about this track is that this is the first time on the album that the band showcase their male and female lead vocals combined. Both singers take a verse each at the beginning before harmonising for one another on the chorus. Can’t Be Wrong is just over a minute long and is packed with energy. There’s a definite feel of early Bad Religion on the song and you can’t go wrong with that.

The fourth track is The Inside and again shows off the pop side of …Whatever That Means’ sound. This song starts out feeling like a great anthem for living life to the fullest and living it your own way but as it progresses it takes a bit of a darker turn, as the singer speaks about how hard it can be mentally trying to put on a front about how good your life seems. This song is probably relevant to so many people. We all want to seem as if we’re living our best lives but many of us to struggle to keep up the facade and we shouldn’t feel pressured to do so. I Need To Know is a Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers cover. It has a rock ’n’ roll edge to it that helps it stand apart from many of the other tracks on the album. ...Whatever That Means breathe new life into the song by upping the tempo of the track and giving it a bit more bite. The song is about the falling apart of a relationship, whether it’s professionally or in your private life, and feeling as if you’ve been left in a state of limbo, not knowing what is going on and where you stand. This is a horrible and frustrating feeling and is definitely another song I find relatable. The sixth song is 68, 22 and is an acoustic track. I was a little surprised to find an acoustic track at this stage of Revolving Doors but it really stands out because of its placement in the album. This is a campfire punk rock sing-along that’s an ode to the places that punks call a home, the places where we feel accepted and where we get our educations. This song really got me emotionally as we’re currently living in a time where I can’t go to my punk rock home. Beautiful song.

Next up is the song Red Flags which features JaeHyun of The Kitsches. Red Flags gives the album and injection of energy and aggression that is really quite striking. The song is about the stress that exams can put on young people and the mental anguish it can cause. This is without a doubt one of the hardest hitting songs on Revolving Doors and JaeHyun’s screams add so much intensity to the track. Save The Union keeps the energy high with another fresh take on the classic skate punk sound. This song again utilises the male and female vocalists that really helps ...Whatever That Means stand out amongst their contemporaries in the genre. I can’t think of any skate punk bands that feature male and female lead vocalists – if you know more please let me know. When the song began I instantly thought of Pennywise with the heavier side of skate punk, except Pennywise haven’t released anything this good for years. The vocals from the verses come out at breakneck speed leaving you amped for a massive sing-along chorus. The song itself is about coming to a crossroads in a relationship where things aren’t as good as they once were and trying to work out in what direction things should go. The penultimate track, So Much To Say, wastes no time in getting started with the vocals jumping right out of the gate. Once again, the band take inspiration from 90s skate punk for a track that I imagine would have appeared in loads of skateboard films if it was written twenty five years ago. The album is completed by I Can’t Take It (The Totally Bummed Out Drew Smith Version). For those unaware Drew Smith is a former member of Burn Burn Burn and the owner of the awesome Tiny Dragon Music. This is the second acoustic track on the album. Rather than being another uplifting song like 68, 22, this is a sadder track about being stuck in a rut, hating your life and struggling to get out of bed. There’s a sadness in the vocals but also a frustration and anger that really gives the song an interesting sound that will really rouse the listener. This is obviously something a lot of people will relate to so I imagine there will be a massive feeling of catharsis amongst the listeners of this song, especially if they get to hear it live.

What a fantastic album Revolving Doors is! I would assume that there aren’t many (if any) readers of CPRW who are checking out the South Korean punk rock scene. If all the bands are anywhere near as good as …Whatever That Means then we definitely should be.

Stream and download Revolving Doors on Bandcamp here.

Like …Whatever That Means on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Attention Economy by Launch Control

Reading three-piece Launch Control have recently released a brand new EP named Attention Economy and it’s really good. To be honest that should be enough for you to go and check it out but, if you need to know more, read below.

The five track EP begins with Zombigots. I was quite surprised when the song started acoustically. This quieter sound really made me listen to the lyrics of the track. It’s not long before the song switches to full band however. I liked the contrast of the sombre acoustic beginning and the angry full band conclusion. The track is about how the UK is full of older, bigoted people and how it’s time for an uprising to make a change. The song is just over a minute long but packs in a lot in to start the EP brilliantly. The second song is the EP’s title track, Attention Economy. I was immediately struck by the delivery of the opening lines, with just the vocals delivered in a punchy way and some drums before some melodic guitar joins in. The way the vocals are delivered throughout the entire EP really interested me, there’s a rap-like style to them that gives Launch Control a different sound to any of their peers in the melodic skate punk scene. The song takes aim at the way in which products are advertised online and how the Internet has algorithms to show you things that it has learnt you like form searches. It’s really scary how much data companies have about you and this song brings that to light.

Cult Of Ignorance starts in more of a traditional melodic punk style. It has me thinking of a less raspy Rise Against and I love that. As the track progresses, the band get a bit more experiment with some additional synths giving the song a wonderful atmospheric quality. I’m pretty sure they also use the same sound effect that the Transformers use when they transform. I really hope that’s true. The track is about those fine folk (sarcasm) who spew out their uninformed, uneducated views and won’t listen when people try and retort with their own side of an argument. The penultimate song is titled Paper Tiger. Paper Tiger is about the person who seems to be the most powerful not being as strong as they think and the people beneath them coming to take them down. Again, Launch Control are not afraid to add different sounds and styles into their music, making them so engaging. One slight negative about the song is that I felt that the final moments of the song were crying out for some gang vocals, but to be fair I love gang vocals in every song. The final track is the five minute long Marketing For Martyrs. Sometimes I feel like I overuse the word epic when describing songs but I can’t think of a word that fits this song better. This is an emotional and powerful song that truly takes you on a journey. The track begins with what’s basically a spoken word section, before moving to uptempo melodic punk before finishing with what I can best describe as a hip hop/rap style. It’s incredible how Launch Control have moulded these styles together so well. If I could only pick one song from this EP to see live it’s Marketing For Martyrs. It’s such an impressive song and the perfect ending.

Despite being aware of Launch Control for a couple of years now, this is the first time I’ve given them a proper listen and I’m so impressed. What I loved was how fresh they sound compared to a lot of bands in their genre. If you, like me, are finding the melodic skate punk style a bit stale then you really need to check out Attention Economy.

Stream and download Attention Economy on Bandcamp here.

Like Launch Control on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Apathy Cycle by Apathy Cycle

Apathy Cycle are a four piece punk rock band from California who formed in 2009. Featuring members of bands such as Intro5pect, Broken Society and Leftöver Crack, the band have previously released two EPs, the last was in 2014. Then back in April, after six years, the band released a self-titled full-length. This is how I first came to find them. I gave it a listen because I enjoyed the artwork and was pleasantly surprised by the mix of skate punk, hardcore and ska that the band play. I had to delve further into the album. 

The album starts with a short intro that sounds like a futuristic flatline before the second song Premium Healthscare abruptly starts. Apathy Cycle pull no punches immediately, really giving a feel of what to expect from the entire album. It’s a hard hitting skate punk song about the American healthcare system and how it’s run in a way where they find ways to exploit sick people to make more money. I’m equally sad and disgusted that this is how the system works in the USA – it’s not right. The next song is titled Rise and begins with cries of “unity, unity” before a strong bass line moves us forward. The track is about coming together in your community and taking back what the powers that be have taken from you. Musically the song goes at a ferocious pace but the vocals and harmonies are packed with melody. There’s a nice moment which really caught my attention where the band briefly switch into a crusty skacore style – displaying the Leftöver Crack influence. Forgotten Genocide starts out with a ominous sounding introduction before making the switch to a skacore style. Being a massive ska kid at heart I absolutely loved this. The song makes you think you’re getting ready for a gigantic circle pit before switching things up and getting you skanking up a storm. Throughout the song it does switch between the more melodic skate punk sound and the ska which creates an amazing sound. The song itself looks at horrific moments in history that have been forgotten and how this is wrong. They make the point that if we don’t remember these atrocious moments in our past, we will repeat them in the future.

Muted Light shows the slower side of Apathy Cycle. This slower style really helps to get Apathy Cycle’s message across in the song. The song gives hope to the youth who want to be free thinkers but are told not to by their elders. Apathy Cycle encourage free thinking and spread the message that it’s right to think differently to how you’re often told you’re supposed to. The moment when the song stops completely and begins to build itself back up is perfect as it really helps to drive home the powerful message in the song. The sixth song, named Feeling Snowed In, is about being trapped by the system and not being able to do anything about it. This song really allows the band to show off some serious musicianship, some of the guitar lines in the song seriously shred and are very creative. There is one at the beginning that makes me think of a very angry surf rock sound. It shouldn’t work but it does. The song also features some great Bad Religion-esque harmonies that add another layer to the track. I Objectify has a lengthy introduction that leads to some sharp vocals to begin the song. The track looks at how social media has turned society into an army of judgemental people, whether they realise it or not, and how it’s changed our culture from empathetic and caring to one “based on fear and apathy.” There’s been a lot of discussion in recent years on the pitfalls of social media and how it affects people’s mental health which makes the song even more thought provoking.

The eighth song, Wanderlust, gets off to an energetic start that builds towards a song that’s about life on tour and feeling at home on the road. The song paints a powerful picture of what life on the road is like. There are difficult and scary times but the feeling of solidarity with your band and the moments you get to experience are ones to be cherished. The album has been very politically and socially heavy up until this point so it was nice for Apathy Cycle to freshen things up thematically on this song. Narcissists Anonymous is another Apathy Cycle song that brilliantly mixes together a host of styles to create something quite stunning. At times they are at their most ferocious and then all of a sudden they whip out what sounds like a saxophone. The track is about how people change for the worse when they get a bit of fame, success or money. I really liked this as a song subject as it’s not one you often hear and it’s sadly something that happens far too much. Critical Thinking is a fast and furious skate punk song for the most part but does occasionally dip its toes into the skacore sea. The track is about forcing yourself to question things despite the potential for arguments and fights. The band make the point that critical thinking is really all that we have in life and you have to be strong enough to voice your opinions on things. This may be me thinking way to deeply about the song but I absolutely loved the switch to ska for the line “we all just want to belong.” Ska is unity music so this is a great little Easter egg.

Trigger Warning is the name of the eleventh song on the album. Due to recent events in the USA, this song feels more relevant than ever as it’s about police brutality and how they can show prejudice when they obviously shouldn’t. As you might expect from a song covering this subject, it pulls no punches and I personally found it to be quite an emotional track. The final message on the track is “the time has come to break the wall of silence.” To me, this is Apathy Cycle proclaiming that we should not stand for this anymore and we need to speak out now more than ever. The penultimate song is titled Antonia’s Against The Wall. You have probably worked out that this songs looks at President Fart’s yearning to build a wall between America and Mexico and the band’s displeasure of that. Despite the serious subject matter, the track shows Apathy Cycle’s playful side in this full on skacore track. When I first heard it I found myself skanking around my front room and having a wonderful time. Then I took the time to sit still and read the lyrics and learnt what the song is about. The chorus in particular is powerful as the band repeatedly shout out “Antonia’s against the wall.” I feel like this would be quite the moment at a live show. The final song on the album is Schadenfreude. This is another fun sounding song to finish the album off. It’s a fast paced sing along with the serious message about people taking pleasure from someone else’s misfortune and how that shouldn’t happen. The band aren’t talking about someone tripping up a curb or slipping on some ice but taking advantage of something bad happening to someone and profiting from it. This world needs more empathy and people working with each other rather than against each other to get ahead.

I can honestly say that Apathy Cycle has released one of my favourite skate punk albums for years. I’ve often shied away from reviewing too much from the genre as I often find it boring and repetitive. This album couldn’t be further away from that statement. It’s a lot of fun and looks at a lot of very important topics. There’s also a feeling of positivity that comes from the album that says if we really want, then things can get better. If you’re a skate punk fan, or even if you’re not, then this is an album you really need to check out.

Stream and download Apathy Cycle on Bandcamp here.

Like Apathy Cycle on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: Nostalgic Interference by My Kid Banana

If you are an avid CPRW reader with an incredible memory you might recognise the name My Kid Banana from being one of our Bands Of The Week or from our first compilation album we released in June 2019. They are a four piece band from Saint Paul, Minnesota, who write pop culture punk songs. Way back in February the band released a new album named Nostalgic Interference and it’s taken me far too long to get around to checking it out.

The first of the album’s nine songs is Bologna And Chips. My Kid Banana start things out with a super sweet pop punk love song about meeting someone special and clicking perfectly. The track doesn’t reinvent any wheels but, as I’ve said many times, sometimes great music doesn’t have to. The song has this truly infectious chorus that you’ll pick up immediately (and features some great harmonies) and the punchy way in which the verse is delivered really grabs your attention. The second track, I Love My Cat Way More Than You, is another super simple song that gets stuck in your head. There’s definitely The Mr T Experience vibes in the track which I really enjoyed. Subject wise it’s a bit silly but I’m sure there’s a lot of people who will really relate. Up next is The Charles Bronsong. It’s dedicated to the American actor and not the English serial killer. This song shows a heavier, more melodic skate punk side of My Kid Banana. It’s like if you crossed The Vandals with Bad Religion (there’s some great “oozin’ aahs”).

The fourth song is titled I Wanna Be Like Rambo. This is My Kid Banana’s version of an inspirational song. It’s about finding your inner strength to make a change in your life when things aren’t going your way. It’s a mid-tempo song which shows off a softer side of Nick Holmes’ voice. It also keeps the run of insanely catchy songs that open the album going. Decepticunt is an angrier song as you might be able to tell from the title. The song is about getting out of a bad relationship with someone you thought was great but in actuality is an awful person. Despite really hating the c word, this is one of my favourites on Nostalgic Interference. I imagine the song gets a great reaction at My Kid Banana live shows. The Exorcism Of My Girlfriend is the song that appeared on our Fifth Birthday Compilation. This shows the more hard rocking side of My Kid Banana but also includes the pop harmonies that have been sprinkled all over the album. The lyrics show off a lot of imagery which I found quite impressive, especially considering it’s not the most serious of songs.

Boy Wonder is the poppiest song on Nostalgic Interference. It’s a slow, quiet song that you could easily find yourself whistling along to. There’s what I believe is a keyboard featured quite heavily in the chorus that could easily be replaced by someone whistling. You don’t often hear things like this and I got a real kick from it. The penultimate song is Let Us Form Voltron. For those who don’t know, Voltron is a popular animated TV show that was originally popular in the 80s and is about a team of five space explorers who pilot a giant super robot named Voltron. My Kid Banana bring the punk sound back for this song about finding someone special, taking a leap of faith and having a life of adventures together. The final track is named Gleaming The Pubes. The song is an ode to the band’s love of skateboarding as kids and how it’s shaped their lives. Much like in The Exorcism Of My Girlfriend, the lyrics display a wonderful amount of imagery that really give the song a nostalgic feel. This is a perfect way to finish an album that is packed full of nostalgia.

This isn’t an album that’s going to change your life but there’s a really good chance that it will make you smile. I’m all for this type of music – it’s fun and inoffensive, you’ll be humming it all day and most probably annoying anyone who encounters you that day. What else do you want?

Stream and download Nostalgic Interference on Bandcamp here.

Like My Kid Banana on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.

Album Review: First Date With Imposter Syndrome by High Visions

High Visions are a three piece pop/skate punk band from Leeds. Featuring Louis on guitar and vocals, Zyggy on bass and vocals and Alex on drums, the band recently released their third EP on the newly formed INiiT Records. Titled A First Date With Imposter Syndrome, this was my first exposure to the band and I was quickly impressed.

When I’m Dead, Just Throw Me In The Trash kicks off the EP. The first thing that struck me about the song was the brilliant contrasting vocals from Louis and Zyggy. Trading between gruff and clean vocals immediately gave the song a lot of energy that I loved. They also made me keen to see the band live and to have the opportunity to sing the track back at the band. The song is about the frustration of being stuck in a rut and not knowing where you are going in life. Up next is the song Checkpoint Charlie. This song starts in an aggressive fashion with the gruffer vocal being more dominant before we reach the chorus which is super poppy. It quickly finds a comfortable spot in your head and you’ll be singing along before the track finishes. The track is about finding yourself at a crossroad in your life and trying to work out the next move you make.

Anywhere // Anyone sees High Visions plant their flag firmly in pop punk territory. The song is packed with introspective lyrics, fantastic melodies, harmonies and a chorus that’s ridiculously catchy. It’s about being in a relationship and constantly trying to prove that you deserve to be with them. The penultimate track is named Isolated, Unstable, Disillusioned. On this track High Visions tackle the subject of mental health and more specifically questioning why are you suffering and will it ever change. The song takes you on a journey – the opening couple of verses I found completely captivating before the track transitions into a heavier section which features some great shredding and some much more intense vocals. I feel like the series of highs and lows that the song takes you on is a metaphor for what it can be like to have mental health issues. The final song on the EP is My True North. The track begins slowly with just guitar and vocals for the first two verse, before the whole band comes in and sets up a big and emotional finale. This is a powerful way to finish the EP and will leave you in no doubt of what a good band High Visions are.

A First Date With Imposter Syndrome is INiiT Records’ first physical release and really sets the benchmark extremely high for future releases. High Visions blend together skate and pop punk effortlessly and offers enough for fans of both genres to get really invested in this EP. Fantastic work.

Stream and download First Date With Imposter Syndrome on Bandcamp here.

Like High Visions on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.