Music Reviews 6/2002

The Business - No Mercy for You
Burning Heart
     The Business return with another batch of Oi driven punk rock.  This CD is basically what you'd expect from The Business, catch tunes with chant filled choruses.  While this CD is not as good as their last effort
The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth it's still a good release.  (db)

Dropkick Murphys / Face to Face -- split EP
Vagrant
     My initial reaction to this pairing could probably be best summed up with .. Huh?!?  It's not everyday you have a split EP with an Irish Oi band and a pop punk band, but you know what?  It works.  This is a great EP.  Both DKM and F2F put their best feet forward with excellent originals and covers.  This is an example of how great music transcends boundaries and labels.  (db)

Concrete Blonde - Group Therapy

     Concrete Blonde has finally returned from the great rock 'n' roll unknown with
Group Therapy.  This CD is the usual mix is dark topics along with guttural vocals that are so powerful and beautiful they make you want to cry, but there is something missing.  Concrete Blonde had a unique spark about them.  It was something that  intangible but truly real and apparent in their music.  And now (at least on this CD) is gone.  While this is an extreme welcome return (I'm hoping they will play OKC), do not expect the Concrete Blonde of old.  While this is a good CD, it's no Bloodletting.   (db)

Electric Frankenstein - The Buzz of 1000 Volts!
Victory
     The rock 'n' roll revolution continues as Electric Frankenstein blast out 13 new ass-kicking tracks on
The Buzz of 1000 Volts!   This is great balls-to-the-wall, raunchy rock music!  Imagine taking AC/DC, The MC5, The Stooges, KISS, The New York Dolls, Minor Threat, Chuck Berry, and Black Flag, mixing them all up in a blender with a bottle of scotch and tequila and the by product would be Electric Frankenstein!  This is good, good stuff!!!!  (db)

The Eyeliners - Sealed with a Kiss
Panic Button
     In pure pop punk rock fashion, The Eyeliners rip out you eyes while driving through your heart.  With classics like "Play it Again", "Finished with You", and the title track, The Eyeliners pick up where The Ramones, Screeching Weasel, and The Donnas leave off, while adding their own unique brand of 1950's influenced spark to the mix.  Excellent CD.  (db)

The Damned - Grave Disorder
Nitro
     Goth-punk pioneers The Damned return with all new material to scare your pants off. 
Grave Disorder basically picks up right where The Damned left off.  There is nothing surprisingly new here, but that is not a bad thing.  While the songs on ths CD are good, they are lacking that classic quality of a "Love Song", "Wait for the Blackout" or "New Rose".  (db)

Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The Masses at Midnight | Articles | Interviews | Reviews | TMAM Spotlight | Links

To contact us:  Email: Themassesatmidnight@yahoo.com