I really shouldn’t like this record. I think I must be one of a very select few that don’t like either Rancid or Bad Religion, and my first thought when thinking about The Cereal Box Killers is that they sound a bit like those two bands. But for some strange reason I keep going back to this album. I guess you could compare it to a circus freak. It’s ugly, yet at the same time strangely compelling. And you always know that you are going to go back for more…
The good fellows at CBK have made this, their second full length release, available for download in full at mp3.com. So I’ll say this now. Download it. Cause in some really funny way this is absolutely fantastic. I had visions of this being complete and utter shite for some reason, and on the first listen through I wasn’t overly impressed. So I listened again, then again, then again, then again. And now it’s on constant rotation. And the thing that’s really bizarre, is that it’s not the sort of disposable, clean pop-punk that I adore. Instead, CBK play melodic, yet fairly dirty punk rock, in the style of Bad Religion or a poor man’s Strung Out.
Album opener ‘Uphill’ has one of the best riffs I’ve heard in ages. It’s hard to describe, other than annoying, but like a novelty record you’ll be humming along in no time. The vocals, which sound incredibly like Tim Armstrong of Rancid fame, aren’t at their strongest, and the song screams to be played a hell of a lot faster. But for some unknown reason I keep going back to it. Is there some kind of subliminal message that I’m missing here guys?
‘Teenage Heart Throb Band’, also the name of the album, is far pacier, but also has quite a cool intro riff. Again the vocals maybe aren’t as strong in the mix as they could be, but when there is an element of harmony in the chorus it sounds fantastic. “You said you’d stay with me forever,” they croon, amalgamating elements of Jimmy Eat World and Strung Out. But although it may be as rough as a badger’s arse production wise, the song is good. ‘Bottom Shelf’ isn’t very good, so it’s a good job it doesn’t last very long.
But ‘Melatonon’ is great, with the “ooh-ah-ooh’s” adding an extra dimension to the sound. The vocals now sound like UK ska band [spunge], but the pace of the song makes it sound much more punky. And the variations in the drumming during the verses and bridge are also pretty good. If there is one thing that does piss me off about this lot, it’s that each song starts in exactly the same way. A long riff starts up each song, and ‘My Addiction’ is no different. When it does eventually get going it’s not half bad, even if it does lead more to a rock sound than a punk sound. I guess that could be The Cure influences in there then. Even so, it’s still strong enough to hold it’s own, without being overly exciting. It actually reminds me of your stereotypical Tooth and Nail band, so you can take that as a compliment or a put-down depending on how you rate the label.
‘Progress?’ sounds a bit like punk veterans Bad Religion, and carries on the tradition of the 30 second long intro. The verses are nothing particularly special, but the chorus is pretty sweet. Apparently ‘Fight’ went from conception to recording in just 45 minutes, and to be honest it is not hard to see why. It actually sounds like something Pennywise would have left on the cutting room floor. Which is not that bad, except I’m sure Jim Lindberg and co would probably have burned this and stamped on it, after leaving it on the cutting room floor. But hey, it’s still better than No Doubt and Smash Mouth post-1998…
‘Sleepless Nights’ starts off in great fashion, with singer Rene sounding even more like Tim Armstrong. But the song is actually very good, again the harmonies work well and there is good use of a bass riff that isn’t just playing along to the rythmn guitar. Is Tom DeLonge of Blink 182 doing some guest vocals on ‘GJR’? It sure sounds like him… but hey, even if their singer is a bit like a chameleon, this song is also pretty good. It’s perhaps a bit basic, but it does have all the elements that are needed for a good song, especially the tune. It’s very similar to ‘Cheshire Cat’-era Blink, but that’s a good thing, so CBK you are forgiven.
‘File 13’ is another short song and isn’t that bad. But like a fine wine, this CD seems to get better with age, and following 20 odd minutes of playing, perhaps the album’s best song has just leapt from my speakers. ‘Cease Construction’ takes all the best bits from emo and sticks them in a big mixing jar with punk to make a really beautiful song. OK, it rips off The Cure real bad, but still, it’s a fantastic song.
OK, CBK are very rough around the edges; OK, it’s only 12 songs, four of which are sub 30 seconds long; OK, there’s only 28 minutes of music. But for Christ’s sake…it’s free! With some decent production and a bit of money behind them, this lot could actually go quite far, so check it out now! It’s a bit like Dr Pepper. Try it, you just might like it…
Paul Savage