(Written by Ben Jensen)
Holy shit! I got an EP featuring two members of TRAGEDY (Billy and Todd) in the ol’ STD PO box! So – SPOILER ALERT – it’s pretty much guaranteed this TRAUMA EP’s gonna land itself STANDARD ISSUE’s super-coveted, fabled-in-story-and-song, best-rating-anyone-can-get-from-us, ‘NOT SHITTY’ rating.
But goddam if these members of TRAGEDY, FINAL WARNING and LONG KNIFE (haven’t heard them, but I know they toured with MEAN JEANS… am I totally blowin’ it?) haven’t earned it.
TRAUMA is blistering d-beat that never lets its heavy bottom slow it down, and the late Jeff Paul’s vocals put most younger guns to shame; nobody on earth can dress you down and make you feel about two inches tall like someone’s burly dad can, and that’s the kinda power we see on display here from the FINAL WARNING veteran, as he tears his throat apart to bellow at us about war for profit and the corrupt political machine.
And holy shit if the instrumentation isn’t EXACTLY thick enough to back those powerhouse vocals. The rhythm section lays a foundation substantial enough for a city of castles, and the guitar sounds like its strings could strangle god.
This is a wider release re-formatting of a self-released demo cassette from 2009, and, in my opinion, BULKHEAD RECORDS should get a charitable tax return for re-releasing this gem. First that ORGANIZED SPORTS LP, now this. I’m liking this new label. NOT SHITTY
A review of the album’s artwork: It’s pretty by-the-book punk graphic design. If you were illiterate, you wouldn’t be able to tell it apart from anything else in the crust/d-beat section of the record shop. It’s a classic look, but nothing to get any kind of excited about. Full lyrics (almost; one track’s lyrics are ‘lost’ apparently), band roster, live shots, and recording information, though, which is good. KINDA SHITTY
[Rest In Peace, Jeff Paul.]
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