Diesel Boy

Venus Envy (1998)

fatpunkguy

Diesel Boy never really progressed their sound, but they got better at it with each album. Venus Envy is a step up from their debut but sticks to the fast melodic punk style they were known for. At first listen, it would be easy to dismiss these guys as post-Punk in Drublic, generic '90s punk rock, but there is actually quite a bit more going on here.

One of Diesel Boy's strong points was their ability to change pace and rhythms within a song without the song ever feeling chopped up. They keep the songs short and fast, but each feels sort of like a short story--they really know how to stuff quite a bit into a two-minute track.

Though not an especially technical band as far as songwriting goes, these are guys who know how to play their instruments. The guitars do have some interesting parts outside of just driving the songs. There are some pretty catchy solos as well, and even the bass shines on many spots on this record. The drums feel kind of generic, but the job gets done. The vocals are well done with well-placed harmonies and background vocals--plus Diesel Dave is a very unique and expressive singer which brings the songs up a level.

As far as song topics go, they touch on some of their recurring themes such as sex and the love of heavy metal. Although many considered them a joke band, they don't rely on humor for every song.

Production-wise, this record sounds great. I never really cared for distorted vocal parts, but even these parts sound good. The guitars sound thick and the bass and drums are mixed in perfectly.

This is a great album and if you missed it, do yourself a favor and give it a listen. One last thing--I don't know what's up with the hidden track; oh well.