Album Of The Day

Fri Jan 29 2021

5

Day 15 of Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Today I got another album from a band that I have never heard of. I’ve never heard a single song from the San Diego band, Rocket From The Crypt. The title of this album is Scream, Dracula Scream! Released in 1995, this was RFTC’s first major label recording. When I put on the first track, Middle, I was blown away with the energy and uptempo of the song. Surely, I thought, they can’t keep up with this throughout the record? Well, that’s exactly what they did. Scream, Dracula Scream! Keeps the pedal to the metal on all 14 songs. I can only imagine that being at one of their live shows would be a blast! The vocals of lead singer and guitarist Reis are aggressive, without screeching into my ears. The drummer, Sean Flynn, pounds away and gives the songs a serious back bone. Super talented drummer! Almost all of the band members lend backing vocals and the song Misbeaten shines because of it. (Maybe my favorite song by the way). Last but not least, they have horns beautifully blaring on all songs and I’m a sucker for that, really gives that 90’s Ska vibe. I really enjoyed all of the songs and had zero urges to skip any of them. Other songs that really need attention are Born In ’69, On a Rope, Come See Come Saw, and Fat Lip. Scream, Dracula Scream! Is filled to the brim with re-playability. If you want an album to pump you up, this will do the trick. It’s totally rad! One thing I like the most about this project, so far, is that some of the music is completely unknown to me, but becomes some of my favorites of the week. I must admit, I always get a little bummed and intimidated when I receive something totally unfamiliar, at first, but it can be so rewarding sometimes. Sure, I am excited to totally nerd out on albums that I know already like the back of my hand, and those albums will be fun to write about, but that’s not what this project is all about. It’s called Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, not re-listen to albums you’ve heard a gazillion times already and act like a Know It All… I’m having a blast! Please share your thoughts, opinions, and memories below. Even if that means shaming me for not knowing about this super dope band beforehand. Peace!

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Fri Apr 01 2022

1

Thai album is so boring. The energy level is consistent and just palls. It is recorded and mixed in such a way that an individual track would pop when played on the radio as the best thing you heard that hour, but listening to the whole album is exhausting. I hate his whiny voice, which just seems like posturing. I hate the arrangements. there is no point. It generically 'rocks', but there is no real grit to it. I'm sure they put on a decent live show (and it seems like they do a lot of live gimmicks), but these songs bore and tire me. I give it a second star because it is energetic and decently recorded. Actually, I think Come See, Come Saw is just a a re-write of Know Your Product by the Saints. One star off for plagiarism of a far better song.

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Sun Jan 09 2022

2

This wS a pretty underwhelming listen. Decent straight ahead rock and roll with a punk edge. Not sure why it should be on this list. I feel that the list should be reserved for albums that are either outstanding or influential and I don't think this either. 2.5 🌟

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Sun Oct 03 2021

5

When this started, I thought, oh lord this is not what my frayed nerves need today. And I turned it off. Then I restarted and turned the volume down and it was much better. I completely missed this band at the time but I dig this punky, grungey (grungy?), alt-rock sound. (My spell check likes grungy but my eyes don't.) Reminds me of Faith No More, Soundgarden, Elvis Costello. Misbeaten sounds like The Beatles feat. Frankie Valli. I love On a Rope, Young Livers (yes!), Ball Lightning, Suit City, and Come See Come Saw. WOW! I love this!

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Mon Jan 25 2021

4

I had heard of RFTC but never listened. I didn’t realize the same guy formed this band and Drive Like Jehu. This is obviously up my alley. It’s got some ska vibes on a some songs, which is usually about the amount of ska I can handle. I would probably give it a 4.5 realistically. It is a little too long. I wish it was 11-12 songs rather than 14. I don’t know which songs I’d cut, though. I tend to prefer front halves of albums to back halves anyway, not sure why.

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Sun Mar 06 2022

2

Sounds like the most generic 90’s punk rock ever, it’s very of it’s time. The singer has the typical snotty punk tone of a thousand punk rock singers before him. It’s basic and derivative and not special. I didn’t outright hate it, but I think a more impactful punk band should have their spot on the list.

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Wed Jan 25 2023

1

one noted high school drop out punk rock band.

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Mon Sep 27 2021

5

A thrill ride, like a rickety wooden rollercoaster hurtling at speed; driving rhythm section, stabbing horns, charismatic frontman; slick back you hair, rev up your motorcycle, pull on your leathers. Rock music like it should be done - get in, get out fast, look good whilst you do it.

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Fri Feb 12 2021

4

Well damn. This is a fine gem that I never knew about. It's like this album is perfectly situated at the crossroads of everything punk - what came before, and what came after. I was surprised to to get something that sounded so much like old school punk in the mid-90's (i.e. paralleling the development of pop-punk, without crossing over). And yet it also has those horns/sax to give it that ska feel without being a "college rock" album in the style of Reel Big Fish. And heck, there was even some noodling in there that spoke to the midwest emo/math rock sensiblities. Good listen.

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Thu Apr 15 2021

4

Damn, what a fun album! Just packed with jams, I bet they would be a blast to see live

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Thu Oct 07 2021

3

Hi-Octane rock and roll energy, hollering and whooping, cracking riffs and pounding drums, with the salsa piccante of a horn section. The sound of a rock and roll gang. They do rather run out of puff by Ball Lightning - the album is "front-loaded", with Born in 69 and On A Rope the best tracks by far, and there are several songs towards the end that are a bit lumpy - but it's still a refreshing blast!

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Wed Apr 19 2023

3

In the middle of punk/ melodic hardcore revival of the mid nineties, these beasts popped up and showed us what concepts like punk or attitude really meant. Honestly, I still preferred 'Dookie' or 'SMASH' -and still do, but this one was a great companion, a well received and deserved fist in the face

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Sat May 29 2021

2

The expeditions into genre territory like ska and surf are the most fun and also the best parts of the record. However, I have no taste at all for the (grungy?) vocal style and that is constant over far too long a time. I'm intrigued by some of the music and my take sweetened after the first two tracks. Please, people, lose the butt rock "growl".

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Thu Jul 21 2022

2

Competent snotty chanting and surprisingly early-00's for the release date. But it's basically obsolete by design.

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Tue Jun 29 2021

1

I screamed.

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Fri Mar 04 2022

1

Why this atrocious mid-90s punk album could ever deserve a spot on this list is completely beyond me.

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Wed May 04 2022

1

So they pumped up their obnoxious sound with horn and string arrangements to make it even more obnoxious? Has no business on this list. I could think of several dozen albums from the era that could take its place. Would normally be 2 stars but I'm feeling crabby today and the shitty font choice and graphic design on the cover are pissing me off. At least Photoshop that grey speck out near the scorpion's right pincer.

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Wed Jun 22 2022

1

completely forgettable american drivel.

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Mon Nov 28 2022

1

Just lacks character. I don’t like this era of rock at all. Sounds like a garage jam band that wants to be edgy. Tried to find a redeeming song but couldn’t.

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Mon Jan 16 2023

1

Oh god American Garage Punk. really tried to give this a shot but I was cringing the entire time and had to turn it off as I hated so much.

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Fri Jun 25 2021

5

After some crappy albums I couldn't connect with, we get this one, which I absolutely adored. Such great energy! I feel like this album doesn't deserve to be on the list- but it is an absolute classic in my opinion "Used" was a really standout track.

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Thu Feb 04 2021

5

Strange mix of rockabilly music and instrumentation with vocals that tended towards metal.

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Mon Jan 25 2021

5

Fun fact: these guys wrote a song for yo Gabba gabba. I knew a few songs from this album in advance - on a rope, dropout, and used. Listening to the whole thing, those songs are still the standouts, but the whole album has an energy that I love - specifically how the rhythm section drives it and is bolstered by the horns throughout. Bass clef represent! I love how the horns blend into the background at times, but add richness to the low tones. I’m probably being a star too generous, but I gotta respect when an album makes me move around and gets me amped!

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Thu Mar 25 2021

5

Best finding so far... Imo

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Wed Feb 17 2021

5

Why did I love this

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Mon Jan 25 2021

5

By far the best album on the list so far. Fell off a bit for me at the very end, but very solid throughout. Plus if its good enough for Yo, Gabba Gabba! Its good enough for me.

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Thu Mar 25 2021

5

It's kinda retarded I had never listened to this before. Good stuff

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Mon May 03 2021

5

How has it taken me 35 years to become a fan of these guys? Right up my alley!!

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Wed May 19 2021

5

Absolute rock and roll bliss, incredible energy, felt like I wanted to run a marathon and punch something at the same time

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Fri Dec 03 2021

5

Class record

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Thu Dec 16 2021

5

Loved the singles from this at the time, but I never had the album. They were so different to everyone else at the time, the kind of rock and roll Primal Scream road tripped, but with a hint of ska. Loses a bit of momentum after the first three tracks, but still one-of-a-kind.

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Fri Jan 21 2022

5

There’s something about this that I really like and I can’t figure it out

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Wed Mar 23 2022

5

meh

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Wed Mar 30 2022

5

excelente!! it was very moody and energetic

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Wed Apr 27 2022

5

Rocket From the Crypt should have been huge. A punk rock band that thought they were a Stax soul revue. Scream, Dracula, Scream may be their best. Their major label debut is a very impressive, creative endeavor.

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Mon Jun 06 2022

5

Wow! I was not expecting a RFTC album to be on the list. I love the band as well as all things John "Speedo" Reis. I didn't know they got a lot of love outside of the punk scene. Anyway, this album is just rock n roll goodness. Very catchy, very fun. And those horns are just a cherry on top. You know when I was a young man I wondered if RFTC were a ska band. Ah, to be that naive again. This is probably a 4-4.5 max if I'm being honest but it gets a 5 for being so damn fun on this beautiful June day and for the overall career of the band.

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Wed Jul 27 2022

5

Summer of 69 and On a Rope don't get old. Love the horn section. It's a blast. Come see Come saw is basically Jumping Jack Flash, but hey the whole album is a gas gas gas.

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Mon Aug 08 2022

5

Blast back from the 90’s forgot how much I loved these guys at the time. Ball lightening very foo fighters - on a rope -classic!

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Sun Sep 11 2022

5

Very uplifting and energetic but also artful if you stop to listen more carefully. The lyrics don't really matter. There is even a song involving lightning (can you guess which other song about lighting I am thinking of)?

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Fri Sep 16 2022

5

This is NOT what I assumed from the name and album art! I love that so many different songs remind me of other bands I like, but never all at once? One song sounds like Morphine, one song sounds like Sponge, one song sounds like Arctic Monkeys, Rancid, etc. On a Rope is an all-time great.

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Wed Aug 23 2023

5

Fun, awesome punk rock. Really nice guitar riffs throughout and great instrumentals in general. I love the energy, it just goes and goes but without becoming same-y. I look forward to listening to more from this band soon.

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Wed Aug 23 2023

5

This album is fuckin’ FUN. Solid punk rock with some ska flavor sprinkled in to keep it interesting, I’d never heard of this band before and I’m glad I have now.

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Tue Apr 27 2021

4

Interesting album, enjoyed the energy

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Sun Feb 21 2021

4

Workout

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Mon Jun 21 2021

4

More fun than I was expecting, a bit of ska in there. I didn’t realise they did On a Rope.

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Thu Feb 04 2021

4

Enjoyed it, no songs I initially recognised but it was a nice change of pace

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Thu Jan 21 2021

4

REALLY dig this album. Will give this another spin for sure.

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Thu Jan 21 2021

4

I never gave this a shot because I hated how their name so clearly aped Rocket from the Tombs. But it’s nice solid well crafted mid-90’s alt rock. Crunchy and tasty.

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Thu Jul 22 2021

4

Good punk rock (maybe pop-punk?). It's so whiny that if they made it today you'd be certain it was ironic, but in the 90's, who could really tell? I wasn't sure about this album the first time around but sat on it for a while and gave it another spin and felt a bit better about it second time. I give it 4/5, but only barely, it's right on the edge of being a 3.

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Tue Jul 13 2021

4

Honestly a pretty fun punk album for me.

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Tue Jul 13 2021

4

Dont care much for his voice, but the music was actually really solid. Favorite tracks: “Young Livers,” “Fat Lip,” and “Salt Future”

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Thu Mar 25 2021

4

pleasant surprise, did not know these guys

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Sat Jun 19 2021

4

Rock and roll is coooool

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Wed Feb 17 2021

4

never heard of them but surprisingly liked them for this style of music

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Mon Jan 25 2021

4

This one brings me back! The title got my attention and I bought this CD (remember those?!) right off the rack when it was first released - thought it was going to be kind of hardcore punk, but was closer to the pop/ska band Madness than the Sex Pistols. Standout track is “On a Rope”, but I like the rest of the album too. Good for an upbeat party, or easy feel good listening. Cool artwork.

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Fri Mar 12 2021

4

I got such hyped with this. That's how I imagine classic rock music. Definitely I will listen it again. However I don't think it's something special for 5.

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Mon May 03 2021

4

Really liked On a Rope. A very repetitive song but not long enough for it to be a problem haha.

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Sat Jun 05 2021

4

Took some time to warm up to, not the best start to an album, almost threw me up. But as it went through it became more enjoyable.

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Mon Apr 19 2021

4

Great punk. Better than most of Nirvana's catalog.

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Wed Jul 07 2021

4

Love it, raw punk rock n roll!

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Mon May 31 2021

4

Really enjoyable, not sure why i never got into these guys. Like a nice mix of Rancid, Less Than Jake, and indie rock.

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Mon May 10 2021

4

lowkey really liked this one, i was vibing. 8/10

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Sun May 16 2021

4

A good punk album Raucous yet palatable, would listen again

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Fri Jun 04 2021

4

Punky and melodic, rancid vibes

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Thu Jun 03 2021

4

New to me - and loving it.

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Fri Aug 06 2021

4

Surprised by this album, really enjoyed it.

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Fri Aug 06 2021

4

Never heard of them, but this album was great! Exactly my type of rock. Dips a bit in quality by the second half, could have been 10 minutes shorter given the genre, but I really did enjoy it!

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Thu Aug 12 2021

4

Soft 4 stars. Had low expectations for an album with a scorpion on the cover, but was not disappointed.

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Fri Aug 20 2021

4

Love being exposed to more punk

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Mon Sep 20 2021

4

Great punk music after the 80s is tough to come by, but this is great punk music. They’re using horns without skewing into ska, which is impressive in and of itself. Definitely an album and a band I will revisit. Atom Willard’s drums are a highlight, but he’s one of my favorite players so I may be a little biased here.

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Sun Oct 03 2021

4

Hmmm. This cover looks like a warning to listeners like me. Although that font draws me in. Dracula and a scorpion? Never mind that. Into the breach! The first two songs were a bit rough. Although the lyric “you only kick half an ass” interests me… Actually found myself enjoying “On A Rope”. Pretty sure I’ve have heard this song before. Really like “Young Livers”. The opening sounds almost festive! Are those bells? Is this a metal ska album? Those are some nice harmonies. What is happening? “Drop Out” is pretty good too. I’m not sure I can sustain the necessary energy for a whole album of this, but I’m liking some of this quite a bit more than I thought. “Used” is my favorite song yet. Throw in a sax and some orchestration and… bells?! This song is pretty great. “Ball Lightning” - ‘you want some cheese with your whine?’ Really liking this song too! Nice backing vocals! So glad to have pressed on in this journey. Enjoying some good 90s guitar work. Ok now we are on “Fat Lip”. I can barely take the verses. But I am liking the chorus. Rocket From Crypt is not making this easy… then again “fat lip learns slow.“ I started to notice some quality percussion in “Suit City” but it and “Heater Hands” feel like too much work for me to listen to. “Misbeaten” is a little more melodic and adds a horn section… and the backing vocals at the end are a pleasant surprise! Love the ending! “Come See, Come Saw”... Horn forward with a pun title? Guitar solo at the end? Temptations-style backing vocals?! Yes, please! This might be my favorite track. “Salt Future” takes it down a notch. A song about Salt Lake? Well it probably won’t be embraced as the city’s unofficial song but there are those harmonies again. “Burn Alive” ends with a high production value song that I warmed up to as it progressed. Listened to this three times now and, while there’s three or four tracks I’ll likely keep skipping, I’ve added this to my library and will be listening to this again. I did not expect this to be the case at all…There’s variety, cleverness and quality musicianship throughout the album. A genuine surprise to me!

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Mon Nov 15 2021

4

Dug it. Very much my kind of sound.

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Wed Dec 08 2021

4

Not sure why I enjoyed this as much as I did

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Fri Dec 24 2021

4

Pretty interesting and unique album. Like punk rock with real instruments. Talented instrumentals behind shouting lyrics.

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Thu Jan 20 2022

4

Nice discovery here! Steady side A. Connected with most of the songs. Side B is a different story. Made some research on the band and looks like the guys were real characters, hosted raffles during concerts, used gigantic spin wheels on stage to decide set lists, played kids shows… fun stuff I will definitely include some of these songs to my playlists

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Sun Jan 23 2022

4

J'ai lancé en mode "du punk... Meh", mais finalement c'était bien cool.

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Fri Feb 18 2022

4

Great energy and really fun melodies, just not catchy enough. Also not a fan of the vocals. I feel like if this album was redone and tightened up, it could be this really cool vampy theatrical piece

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Fri Feb 18 2022

4

Rock. Grunge.

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Sat Mar 05 2022

4

Ok I don't think I've heard any of this before, but it feels like I have. I like it! Rocks just right. Bit of rockabilly but not so much it turns me off. I would happily listen to a few of these tunes again. 4/5.

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Fri Mar 11 2022

4

Punk rock noventero. No llega a vinilo.

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Sun Mar 27 2022

4

Really dug the guitar and drums on a lot of these tracks

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Wed Apr 20 2022

4

Honestly not in the mood for this kind of thing much anymore - loud and angry is a young man’s game. Still, this is that being done about as good as it gets. Fast songs, lots of variety, unflagging energy. Surprised I hadn’t heard of this before.

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Wed Apr 27 2022

4

Very surprised that I haven’t heard of this band. It’s a little harsh but I like it. Post-punk in the vein of Rancid who I love. I’m a broken record about this (no pun intended) but really missing the half star option as I’d give this a 3.5. Rounding up this time

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Sun Jun 05 2022

4

CD

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Fri Jul 15 2022

4

Very good

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Wed Aug 03 2022

4

The drums on this album are crazy This is definitely one of our better punk albums THE HORNS ON THIS WHAT Enjoying so far Born in '69 is a great song The cover is gross but the music sounds cool The vocals arent great but the instrumentals definitely make up for it 7/10

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Thu Aug 04 2022

4

Pretty good! Fun 90's punk.

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Mon Aug 08 2022

4

Dug it!!! So cool, the sound is right up my alley (horns, ska influence)

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Sun Aug 21 2022

4

Links 90s hardcore punk to the heartland punk of the aughts (Gaslight Anthem, The Hold Steady, etc.) Maybe it's the horns?

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Mon Aug 29 2022

4

Good stuff

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Fri Sep 16 2022

4

Whoa I really like this! The lead singer sounds so familiar. Does he sound like the NOFX singer a bit?

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Fri Oct 07 2022

4

I wasn't sure what to expect here, but I loved this. Really strong energy, driving, catchy songs with just the right amount of chaos. The horns were a nice touch. Overall, this reminded me a little of my favorite band, The Replacements. Will definitely listen again and check out more of their stuff. 4 stars.

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Wed Oct 12 2022

4

I didn't recognise the name of this band or album, but when "ONAROPE, ONAROPE, GOT ME HANGIN ONAROPE", kicked in I remembered it instantly! I don't think I knew any of the other songs so was excited to check the rest of the album out. I enjoyed it overall, especially the energy and the brass section, which was great throughout. At first I thought the vocals were a bit too pirate-y, but they grew on me. I do think it feels like it loses steam towards the end, so perhaps 50 mins is a bit too long for a punk album. Maybe the last few songs will grow on me too though. Overall, a nice surprise which I see myself listening to again. It's interesting reading through some of the negative reviews on the more unusual albums on the list. It's seems like people were expecting this to be 1001 CLASSIC ROCK Albums to Hear Before You Die. Broaden your horizons, people! Albums like this are why I'm here. 8/10

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Thu Oct 27 2022

4

This was just a FUN album that i could really easily get into and carries the energy through the whole thing. Little sinister, little horny, little vibey. 4/5

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Thu Oct 27 2022

4

Punk 'n roll!

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Sun Oct 30 2022

4

It Really suprised me this album… I had never heard about this band..

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Fri Nov 11 2022

4

Härlig rock! Lite punkigt, lite rock'n'roll, lite blåsorkester. Påminner om Foo Fighters (eller tvärtom med tanke på åldern) - framför allt Ball Lightning.

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Sun Nov 13 2022

4

Camp

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Mon Nov 14 2022

4

Nice ride down memory lane. I remember when this album came out. It was like a punk version of the Blues Brothers. I absolutely loved the first three tracks, "Middle", "Born in '69", and "On a Rope" (and I still love them today). Unfortunately, after such a great start, everything after sounded quite underwhelming, to be honest. And it's still the case now for me, even though my music tastes have quite broadened since i was a teenager... That being said, I find the average grading of the participants in here extremely harsh. This is no essential listen, obviously, but it's still decent punk rock. So for once, I'm gonna give a 4/5 grade to an album I actually won't include in my own list. Trying to tip the karmic balance a little here, even if this won't change anything to the average grading... Number of albums left to review: 738 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 129 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 65 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 69 (including this one)

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Wed Dec 21 2022

4

Having never heard of this band or album, I was pleasantly surprised! 90s punk with quality songwriting and great horns throughout. Bit too long for this type of sound, but fans of Fucked Up or Titus Andronicus should absolutely check this out

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Scream, Dracula, Scream

Rocket From The Crypt

1995

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