Canada punks The Flatliners have been all over the place musically with their albums in the past, and that’s far from a bad thing. At times focused on aggressive ska, other times rocking a Reggae-vibe (a ’la late era Clash), with Dead Language, the guys opt for straight-ahead punk rock. As a result, they have turned in their most consistently solid release to date.
Ignoring overdubs and studio gimmicks, the band went for a more live feeling on this, their fourth effort, and the sound is obvious. It recalls an immediacy akin to a lot of the punk records from the late 70’s and early 80’s when bands couldn’t afford endless hours in the studio experimenting with various sound tricks: just loud, fast melodic punk rocks sing-alongs. And not to knock the band’s earlier albums, but Chris Cresswell’s raspy vocals are better suited for this brand of get-in-and-get-out rock.
While 2010’s Cavalcade saw the guys open the studio to everyone from members of Dillinger Four to A Wilhelm Scream, Dead Language is just the foursome knocking out some of the best songs of their nearly 10-year-old partnership.
The Flatliners Dead Language /13 tracks/Fat Wreck Chords/2013
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
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