Punk rock is a terrible genre to have to classify. Everyone past high school hates having some sort of label attached to them; however, we all love to dish out said labels. When it comes down to reviewing something in the scene it gets a tad bit dirtier, because we're forced to attach something to the band so that people can find a common ground and begin basing their opinions as to weather they should pick up the release or not. The ugliest part is mixing the slew of genres into a mixing pot and pulling out parts of a deformed mutant and using that as a new label for music.
The Dead Heroes fit into the classification of something like old-school-aggressive-Brit-punk, ugh what a lame category. From the opening snarls of "Let It Ride" it's obvious that Motorhead is present in all of these guys CD players back at their apartments. Guitars and drums slaughter together well breaking speed limits as the three members rip through eighteen songs in under forty minutes -- eight brand new ones, their Faster & Louder E.P. and a few demos. Secondary vocalist / bass, Tom's voice is nasally and grotesque, but "Beat All Odds" still works and the metal-esque solo slays. "Hard Life" opens in a similar style to Green Day's "Geek Stink Breath" before the fury and raw aggression sends Armstrong, Dirnt, and Tre Cool hiding under the kitchen table like frightened puppies. The leather jacket, pins, studs, patches, "I don't give a fuck" posture on "Third World City" pummels most bands who try at this genre into submission. Even the desiccated demo tracks on the album have more balls to the walls attitude than the majority of studio recordings I hear.
Bands like this aren't particularly my cup of tea, although, the ferocity of the Dead Heroes kindles a new flame inside my ears. Even those it's hard to differentiate song from song, either they sound the same or are quick painless and short, I still find pleasure in Let It Ride. They're unconcerned about how I classify them in this review; they're playing punk rock under the same ideals the Dead Kennedys and Heresy (see the cover of "Love Ya to Death" as the hidden track) envisioned â tons of vigor, attitude, and ragged production.
MP3s:
Let It Ride
The Sweet Taste
Love Ya To Death (Heresy Cover)