Riot Cop is timely as hell. Their songs are about protesting and resistance in Portland. The liner notes are full of painted renderings of protesters fighting police and fascists. The songs reflect these themes. Hell, this CD is pretty much a concept album about Portland’s political struggles. However, as much as I support the sentiment, it’s a little disappointing in its execution. Riot Cop’s hardcore comes off as dull and dated and the recording favors vocals and drums far too much, making things annoyingly uneven. HUMOROUS SIDE NOTE: the band’s label, Pig Records, will give you free product for life if you get a tattoo of their logo. However, that logo is a rendering of a pig wearing a cop’s helmet. –Craven Rock (Pig, pig-records.rocks)