It’s seemingly odd to hear a hardcore band screaming about smoking weed and getting poured up, but Deez Nuts have found a way once again on their fourth LP, Word Is Bond. The band’s tough guy appeal has gotten more serious as time goes on, but the songs bring nothing new to the band’s discography nor the metallic hardcore genre.

From start to finish, the guitars are extremely crunchy but do sound nicely polished. The album begins with a typical build up on “Word” and fades into “Yesterday,” which could’ve been the best song on the album had the band shortened it. “Yesterday” starts promising but once it hits its peak, the band tries too hard resuscitating it with repetition and breakdowns, much like the rest of the album.

“Pour Up” and “What’s Good” are songs that sound tough but lyrics fail to meet the attitude. Both songs are about drinking and smoking and staying true to oneself. With lyrics like “Drink up, smoke up, never let the man hold you down, never grow up,” it’s amazing the band has a place in a community with such strong moral values.

“What I Gotta Do” is the most balanced song on the record. It starts out fast and leads into intense gang vocals. The song is the perfect length and has a direction, unlike the rest of the album. If more songs were put together as well as “What I Gotta Do,” the rest of the album would flow a lot better.

“Party At The Hill” continues the band’s culture of drinking and smoking. The band sounds like they’re bragging about a high school party to people who don’t care. They even go as far as to quote The Transplants’ “Tall Cans In The Air,” a homage to the band’s rap/rock influence. It’s hard to take Deez Nuts seriously when half their songs are about partying and the other half are about the values of hardcore. These themes conflict each other throughout the record.

Towards the end of the album, it only gets worse. Just like the songs, once the album hits it’s peak, it rapidly declines. Sooner or later, the songs begin to blend in with each other and many riffs are redundant.

“The Message” is an obvious reference to the Grandmaster Flash song and even goes as far to include the famous hook. Deez Nuts’ message doesn't compare to Grandmaster Flash’s on any level and the reference to the song is almost disrespectful. The homages to both The Transplants and Grandmaster Flash aren’t even homages, they serve as lyrics taken out of context to sleazily attempt to rummage together meaning.

While the band dares to incorporate their substance use in their music for a community that generally abstains from drugs, Deez Nuts fourth album will no doubt appeal to a bigger audience because of the band’s wide range of influences. Although, with three other albums, Word Is Bond isn’t breaking any new ground.