I’m always a little suspicious of bands named after classic punk songs (“Complete Control” was the Clash’s fourth single), but hot damn, these guys unabashedly rip. They have less in common with ‘77 punk and more of a mix between the ball-bearing tight musicianship of Funeral Oration mixed in with the force, the non-nonsense charge of The Effigies, and the undeniable energy of the Bodies. It’s almost as if the pop punk flag has been expertly folded into what would be usually considered a street punk box and then the whole deal is burned. New, dangerous flames jumping from old ideas. The lead singer’s voice makes it easy for the speed to digest when he sings about rotting flesh and America’s foreign policy woes. He doesn’t seem in a hurry, can carry a note, and there are guitar melodies dancing and weaving all over the place. For a debut LP, this is absolutely incredible. This sounds like a band that’s been playing for over five years. I’d put them on par with The Boils and Wednesday Night Heroes.
–todd (TKO: CD, Slab-o-Wax: LP)