February Loud Rock Wrap-Up

Hello!
It’s me, Ben, your fearless loud rock genre director, here to report after spending the month wading through the shit and puke that sometimes makes up “loud rock,” a genre distinction which often gets the worst of the worst, but also, the best of the best. Here are my favorite three releases that came across my desk from February.

1) Bad Religion – True North
In the bands sixteenth(!) album and their 31st (!) year, we find Bad Religion as angry and energetic as ever. As the punk genre seems again to enter a period of rebirth, where older bands either disband or put out the same generic music, Bad Religion finds a way to stay fresh. The single, the aptly titled “Fuck You,” is great, but there are some fantastic political gems lurking deeper, such as “Robin Hood in Reverse,” where Graffin opines “Here’s the church; there’s the steeple./Open up the door; corporations are people./Wait, what did he say?/What the fuck did he say?” Great album. 8/10

2) Pissed Jeans – Honeys
Pissed Jeans have never been able to hold my attention for a full album. That is to say, eventually it starts going in a weird direction, all steeped in sludge, loses its momentum, and I tune it out. They have had some amazing tracks, but haven’t ever been able to pull it all the way through. Until now. Honeys is an incredible record, from the beginning of “Bathroom Laughter,” to the end of the auditory assault that is “Teenage Adult.” There’s something about the video for “Bathroom Laughter” that was really jarring, and even made my stomach hurt. Check it out for yourself. 8/10

3) Babysitter – Eye
Babysitter’s debut Eye is rad. The garage-punk the band puts together on what is apparently their first proper album (though they’ve put out 8 cassettes and a 7”) an awesome blend of garage rock, 80s punk and distortion that most garage-punk bands haven’t put together across the span of their whole career. This band reminds me of the Wipers a little bit, and that can never be bad. Listen to this. 7/10

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