Posted on: June 27, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

The Toasters – One More Bullet / 2007 Stomp / 12 Tracks / http://www.toasters.org / http://www.stomprecords.com/

The Toasters have been around for a quarter-century. They were one of the most influential acts in the creation of the third wave of ska music which peaked around 1996. Surprisingly enough, The Toasters are still around while the rest of the acts latter era have broken up or have decreased in importance. Feeling bad for the casualties of the third wave, The Toasters have included a number of members from these bands. For this album, this includes members of Mephiskaphales, Slackers, and Daze of Dawn.

“What A Gwan” is the first track on “One More Bullet”, and it blends a very traditional style with current news and issues. There is a disco-like funkiness present in the ska that The Toasters play here, and while the recording does not completely flatter the band, the act still shines. “Night Train to Moscow” has nearly the same sound to the stanzas, but the band really ratchets things up for the chorus. The vocals during the chorus are pretty much equivalent to those laid down by the Ramones in their best days. It is first during “Where’s The Freedom” that the band decides to switch up styles. There is a much more tangible type of reggae influence present during this track, and it is this removal from the rut created by the first two tracks that gives the band energy to forge on through the rest of the disc’s eight tracks. “Life In A Bubble” is a slower track and uses the downtempo sound common in ska to make a more introspective and vocally hard-hitting track.

“Life in a Bubble” is “One More Bullet”’s sad track, which will mean that the song will receive heavy play from those that are scorned. The slower style is bolstered by the inclusion of a ropy bass line during “Run Rudy Run Redux”, and this track acts perfectly as a bridge between the slower style of the track that preceded it and the much faster song that follows it (“You’re Gonna Pay”). “Bits and Pieces” is the party track of the disc, and is the evidence that I need to show that the band has not lost anything in the last two and a half decades. Check this latest album out by The Toasters, but pick up some of the band’s earlier albums to see how their sound has changed and grown since those earlier years.

Top Tracks: What A Gawn, Run Rudy Run Redux

Rating: 6.0/10

Leave a Comment