My So-Called Band

Weapons Of Mass Distortion (2004)

Greg

"Wow," I thought to myself, looking at the album. "Bad band name, bad album name, lame cover art…well, I guess it can only get better, right?" Wrong.

This pile of wannabe 80s hardcore garbage is nearly unlistenable. The music is all mid-tempo and not that intense, but that's not the worst part. The lyrics are so painful; they rhyme every line in the most lame way possible, and they are sung in either a monotone, or in direct relation to the guitar part. There is no melody. Now, not every band needs to be poppy; there are bands that make this work, but trust me this is not one of them. So, is this a band of really young kids who perhaps just haven't had enough songwriting experience? No, My So-Called Band is three thirty-somethings who have been in bands forever and this current band since 1995. I guess they just like their style of punk, but frankly I don't. Based on their influences shown on the cover (Ramones, Minor Threat, The Clash, Sex Pistols), they listen to some good stuff, but they just don't have the songwriting themselves.

But I do like that their hearts are in the right place. They dedicated this album to a younger friend who had passed away, and they also have a song for Rachel Corrie, a peace worker killed standing in the way of a bulldozer about to destroy a Palestinian doctor's home. But really the best thing about this CD is that is only a 20-minute EP.

Don't quit your day jobs, fellows. Oh yeah, and please put down your middle fingers in all the band pictures, it's neither cool nor shocking.