Posted on: September 25, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Fangboner – A Joke Gone Bad / 2007 Lightning Rock / 5 Tracks / http://www.fangboner.net / http://www.lightningrockrecords.com /

“Quiet Riot” is the first track on “A Joke Gone Bad”, and it shows Fangboner as an act that is very in tune with the punk rock of acts like The Weirdos ad The Dickies. The vocals of Sheamus Carney remind me a little bit of Devo, and the heavily-rock based punk style of Fangboner provide individuals with something new couched in a style that is decades old. The production is interesting in the sense that it operates much in the way that it did when the early punk bands cut their albums. This means that there is a little bit of an echo present, but the instruments themselves sound almost as if individuals are standing right next to the band. The drums are splashy, the fuzz of the guitar comes through perfectly, and a song like “If Only It Was Always This Easy” is made the stronger by it.

“Corpse of Chewbacca” is the hump track, and it gives listeners another track in the same vein as “Quiet Riot” and “If Only It Was Always This ERasy”. There is a little bit more of an early goth sound during the guitar arrangements of the track, meaning that individuals can hear a slight bit of bands like The Cure and 45 Grave at the periphery of the sound. The soft vocals of Sheamus during this track bring the track to the current, allowing individuals from any period in punk’s history to appreciate what the band is doing. The chorus is the high point of the track, and it is on this chorus that the band is able to cross over to “Banana Jammin’ Your Daughter” and “Sad But True”. The band is interesting, and I would like to see them in two different context: first, I’d like to see them to a full length album, and secondly, I think that having a more professional recording would treat them well.

Top Track: Corpse of Chewbacca

Rating: 6.1/10

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