False Alliance

False Alliance (2003)

Jim

When I first got into punk it was like hearing something I'd never heard before. The bands were cynical, angry, fast, yet somehow melodic and catchy at the same time, and they talked about politics instead of producing the syrupy love anthems that I was so sick of hearing all over the radio. Now, years later False Alliance has come around and made me remember what made all of this music so special to me in the first place

Taking cues from the likes of Bad Religion and the Dead Kennedys, False Alliance has recorded an album that is simply punk, melodic, aggressive, thought provoking punk. . Make no mistake; this is not another clone band. Instead of falling victim to the complacency that plagues so many other bands, these guys have incorporated their influences into their own style seamlessly, without it coming off sounding like hero worship.

They manage to be angry without being over the top, political without being preachy and fast without sounding sloppy. Yet this band is unsigned. This is nothing short of a travesty. This is the kind of band I really wish Epitaph would pick up. Brett's been busy putting out stuff like Matchbook Romance, Ikara Colt, and Motion City Soundtrack (no offense Scott) but really, those bands don't mean much, if anything to me. This band could breathe some much needed life into the punk side of that label and appease the fans who feel somewhat left out by their recent signings.

This isn't really new, as it builds on the foundations set by other bands in the past, but at the same time it sounds really refreshing now amongst a million bands grasping at straws and begging to be considered special. You won't find any moog on this album, this isn't a concept album, and you probably wouldn't catch these guys dead in girl pants. But take it for it is, a solid punk rock album, and you'll realize that these things are becoming harder and harder to come by.