Posted on: October 13, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Most individuals that are into punk music have heard The Scarred’s title track to “No Solution” either on their Myspace or through another place. The track is not quite as out there and streetpunk as some of Punk Core’s other bands, but the catchiness present in acts like The Unseen is present as well in The Scarred. During songs like “battlefield”, The Scarred mix together acts like Bad Religion with The Germs to come up with something current while still having the bite of previous days. Where each of the disc’s earlier tracks had their own version of catchiness, “Bastards” kicks things up a notch in the deadpan delivery that is put forth by the backing vocals on the track.

The style put out by The Scarred should remind individuals of early Anti-Flag, albeit with a intensity that Anti-Flag just was not able to muster with their last few releases. For the individuals that might be getting tired of the straight forward type of punk that The Scarred have put forth with the first half of the disc, there is a psychedelic/seventies type of rock track present in “Submission”. The slower tempo of the track may seem to some to be an unnecessary turn for the band, but this 180 is essential for the band to keep things fresh while expanding their sound to include a few different styles. This change in styles is not something that the band sticks with for any length of time, but just doing this for one track means that the band is not stuck into any one given style for the entirety of this disc.

The distinctive guitars that are present during a track like “Repression” derive obviously from the Bad Religion side of things, but The Scarred recontextualize them in such a way that they are given a completely new luster without seeming like a Bad Religion rip-off. Another shift in style that keeps the line of change open for The Scarred happens during “Drone”, which is a track that moves back to the fifties for influence. Where a lot of the “punks” will hate songs like “Submission” and “Drone”, these tracks should be the ones given the most time as they show different sides to this amazing band. The Scarred keep punk alive and kicking instead of creating the musical style into something like a Frankenstein’s Monster, capable of only doing a few things.

Top Tracks: Drone, Submission

Rating: 7.4/10

[JMcQ]

The Scarred – No Solution / 2006 Punk Core / 12 Tracks / http://www.thescarred.com / http://www.punkcore.com / Reviewed 30 March 2006

Leave a Comment