SOS – Adult Situations
316 Productions

(3.5/5)

Combining a fist-pumping style of Rock with some of the speed and techniques of Punk, SOS’s newest album Adult Situations is an album for fans of both worlds! Personally, I think the overall sound on Adult Situations leans a bit too far on the Punk side, but the combination of that Punk edge and the groovy style of Rock presented in the 12-tracks on this album sounds pretty good for the most part. Tracks I would recommend are “Wasteland Temptress” (Track 5), “Hypoxyphilia” (Track 6), “Frames” (Track 7), and “Life of Love and Peace and Harmony” (Track 11). My favorite track from the whole album is probably “Wasteland Temptress” because it starts off in a typical Punk style, but eventually drops into a Rock groove that is similar to the style of bands such as Corrosion of Conformity and Fireball Ministry. It just has a good Stoner metal feel to it. “Hypoxyphilia” is another track that sort of strays from the Punk style for the most part and really showcases Adam Mastrosimone’s bass playing and shows a more melodic side of SOS’s song writing. Overall, I think Adult Situations is a good album that outlines a “controlled chaos” type of feel that can be enjoyed by Rock fans and Punk fans alike.

Kottonmouth Kings – The Green Album
Suburban Noize Records

(4/5)

Mixing the musical styles of Rock, Rap, and Punk, the Kottonmouth Kings have been showing the world how the boys from the West Coast do things in the underground since the mid-90s. Now in their 12th year of official business, the Kings have released their 10th studio album titled The Green Album. If this album says anything about their career, it says that they don’t plan on letting up anytime soon. Although I can’t agree with all of the lyrical content expressed in the album involving drugs, I can still see above that to see that this record is insanely good. This is odd to hear from this long time metalhead, but there’s no denying that the Kottonmouth Kings have talent. With twenty hand picked songs out of the original sixty tracks recorded over a six month run at heir studio in California, KmK provides multiple atmospheres on The Green Album with classic Hip-Hop tracks, more mellow acoustic tracks, and even some of the good ol’ Punk tracks. I have to admit that most of my favorites are some of the Hip-Hop tracks such as “K.O.T.T.O.N.M.O.U.T.H. Song” (Track 6), “Blaze of Glory” (Track 2), and “Rock Like Us” (Track 3). To get a good feel for the more Punk side of the Kottonmouth Kings, check out “Super Hero” (Track 12) and “So Cal” (Track 17). Some of the other tracks on the album have some exclusive feature artists Tech N9ne, Brother J, and The Dirtball. One other aspect that should be mentioned for this album, the guys are donating a percentage of profits from the sales of The Green Album to various environmental causes and have issued some, if not all, of the albums in a more environmentally friendly packaging. So, help support the band and saving the earth as well as adding some sick Hip-Hop to your arsenal of music by going out and picking up a copy of The Green Album ASAP!

Sound and Fury – Sound and Fury
Rebel Youth Records

(4/5)

Ok all you Punk Rock kids out there; it’s time to strap on your party boots, throw on some suspenders, and dance the night away with Sound and Fury’s debut album Sound and Fury! To best understand the sound of this band, listen to the album…but if you’re going off reviews before you buy the album, I say imagine AC/DC and Airbourne getting into a drunken bar brawl with the Sex Pistols and the Ramones as far as music style and lyrics go. The combination of the two styles doesn’t sound like it would work out all that great, but it’s really the total opposite! Getting a little deeper into the album, my favorite songs would have to be “School’s Out” (Track 1), “Teenage Rampage” (Track 2), and “Night of the Ghouls” (Track 6). “School’s Out” and “Teenage Rampage” are two of the songs from the album that really show the old school Punk style of Sound and Fury and “Night of the Ghouls” is one of the AC/DC style Rock tracks. Overall, I recommend Sound and Fury to fans of the four bands mentioned above as well as anyone who’s looking for another good band to check out.

SiX – Between the Warning and the War
1605 Records

(4/5)

With Between the Warning and the War as their third release, SiX is continuing to make their presence known as a West Coast Rock band. Not only are there Heavy metal and Punk influences helping push SiX through this 13-track (plus 3 “hidden” tracks), fist pumping, Hard rock album, but vocalist Lauren is helped out by Tony Campos from Static-X on “The Day I Died” (track 1) and “Warning” (track 7) as well as Mike Clark from Suicidal Tendencies on “Forgiveness” (track 4). Overall, Lauren, guitarist Alfunction, and drummer Rob Woods, and bass player Bob K really attack mainstream music while letting their roots show with the mix of old school power and the future of aggression on Between the Warning and the War! Honestly, I think it’s a great album and it was really hard to choose favorite songs, but “The Day I Died” and “Circles” were the two that really jumped out at me. “The Day I Died” sticks out for its aggressive, Punk/Thrash-like sound that starts the album off with a bang! When you hear it, you can’t help but want to start pumping your fists and moshing with your friends. “Circles” is just one of the songs off the album that show off some of Nate Bowers’ double bass skills along with the Drowning Pool-like feel of the whole track. All in all, Between the Warning and the War is an album for your arsenal if you’re into Hardcore punk and Hard rock! Look for Lauren, Alfunction, Rob and guitarist Johnny Utah playing live near you!

Handheld – Handheld
Year of the Sun Records

(3.5/5)

If you’re looking for a generic mix of Green Day and Bad Religion, check out Handheld’s self-titled, full length, album on Year of the Sun Records. Handheld has successfully taken the Punk Rock sound of Green Day and put it together with the speed and 2-3 minute song lengths that Bad Religion has been popular for throughout their career. Despite whether or not this is my favorite style of Punk or music genre period, I must admit that these guys have managed to perfect their sound to be popular among the Punk crowd of today! On a more technical note, I really haven’t found a song I like any better than the others, but bassist Ricky Guerrero proves time and time again that he definitely has skills as a Punk bassist. Overall, if you like Green Day with some good ol’ Bad Religion thrown in the mix, I recommend picking up Handheld’s self-titled album!

D.I. – On The Western Front
Suburban Noize Records

(3.5/5)

Two words: Old school! If you’re looking for an old school Punk band in a new school world, check out D.I. Their newest album On The Western Front is a great example of what is that classic West Coast Punk. To compare their sound, they remind me a lot of bands like Social Distortion and the Dead Kennedys! Honestly, it’s pretty refreshing to hear a splash of that old school Punk sound that’s not all about politics and world issues! Being the only original member still in the band, ex-Adolescents and Social Distortion drummer Casey Royer tears up the vocals on the first album since the reunion of D.I. with Chckn and Clinton on guitars, Eddie tater on bass, and Joey Tater on drums. Really, none of the tracks on this album stuck out to me, but they all definitely take me back to my Punk days. Overall, it’s a good album, especially if you’re looking for that good ol’ West Coast Punk style!