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Government Warning has always been a “grower” of a band for me. After my first spin of the No Moderation LP I wasn’t that impressed. It took a few months for me to really get into it, same with their first seven inch. With Arrested, there was no growing period necessary. It hooked me faster than Theo Fleury in a pharmacy.

The fact that the title track of the 7” wasn’t written by Rikk Agnew is astonishing. How did four guys from Richmond manage to capture the exact essence of early `80s Orange County? This song has everything: the “OC” drum beat, the perfectly placed guitar solo, desperate lyrics, a great sing-along chorus, basically the total package. This shit would have fit in perfectly on any Adolescents, D.I., or early TSOL record. Part of me is really hoping they follow this direction more in the future. It is really that great of a song. Crazy Uncle Rikk would be damn proud.

“Maniacs” and “Killing for Fun” are easily the two most pissed off songs this band has ever written. Neither makes it past 1:15, and both make me want to hurl my glass of water at the wall just to see it shatter. I’m not too crazy about the last song “Safe and Sound,” though. They pull the throttle back a little bit on the speed but didn’t seem to have a solid hook to go with it. It’s not a bad song but not the same caliber as the first three.

There was a period for awhile where I was burnt out on hardcore and almost gave up on it completely. Government Warning is one of the main reasons why I’m back in with more of a vengeance than ever before. Pick this record up now.



People who liked this also liked:
The Replacements - Pleased to Meet MeDillinger Four - Versus GodSocial Circkle - I've Got Afflictions [7 inch]Teen Idles - Minor Disturbance [7 inch]Teenage Bottlerocket - Warning DeviceColiseum - No SalvationGovernment Warning - No ModerationThe Copyrights - Nowhere Near Chicago [7 inch]The Copyrights - Button Smasher [7 inch]The Queers - Love Songs for the Retarded [reissue]



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    Posted by faster on 2007-09-28 09:16:02
    My Score:

    Dunno if I like this more than their LP or not yet. Kinda hard to compare an album with a 7" anyway.

    Great record though. Grave Mistake have been putting out some top quality stuff this year.

    Posted by inagreendase on 2007-09-17 14:25:24

    Did someone seriously say this sounds like Davey Havoc recorded with the Adolescents?

    2 people did, technically. I'm not that deaf.

    Posted by strangenotes on 2007-09-17 10:56:21

    Did someone seriously say this sounds like Davey Havoc recorded with the Adolescents? Serious LOL right there.

    Posted by ghostdentures on 2007-09-15 11:46:36
    My Score:

    totally agree about the whole grower thing, gw make me love hardcore again, just like formaldehyde junkies did

    Posted by UtterlyBrilliant on 2007-09-14 20:19:01

    I love this 7".
    I thought it would be pretty tough to write anything better than No Moderation but these songs plain rule. I'm glad everyone else see's the Adolescents comparison for the first track hehe although not hard to see.
    Hope they release even more stuff soon.
    One of the best modern day hardcore bands.
    And hey, he does sound a bit like Davey circa mid 90's!

    Posted by JonDaley on 2007-09-14 15:56:45
    My Score:

    this whole 7inch is pretty good all around BUT the title track for me is the best thing they've ever done and is one of the best songs I've heard all year and makes this 7" that much more essential.

    Posted by inagreendase on 2007-09-14 12:19:31

    Arrested is a fucking great song, the first line kills, makes me want to punch the wall every time. "God bless the USA and only the USA!"

    Yes.

    Also, the only thing people should ever be intolerant of is intolerance.

    Posted by skankin_in_the_pit on 2007-09-14 09:30:26

    The only negative aspect about this album is some of the lyrics to "Safe and Sound." Maybe I'm a little too PC, but semi-defending intolerance is a little rough. I'm not knocking the band, just sayin'.

    Posted by NotPatriotic on 2007-09-14 00:37:16

    I love the insert of the 7 inch, the pig and the other drawings are awesome. I don't like all of the lyrics on the album but this music does hook. Arrested is a fucking great song, the first line kills, makes me want to punch the wall every time. "God bless the USA and only the USA!"

    Posted by GlassPipeMurder on 2007-09-14 00:35:58
    My Score:

    Thanks Bill. I will be purchasing this soon.

    Posted by inagreendase on 2007-09-14 00:04:31
    My Score:

    Yeah, for real. It's like if 1997 Davey Havok traveled back to 1981 and recorded the Blue Album with the band. And if, well, only four tracks made the cut.

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