It seems like there are a lot of bands that are dissatisfied with the state that hardcore and punk are currently in. Either that, or lots of press release writers had to same idea at the same time. The latter wouldn't exactly shock me. Come on people, can't you just go back telling us that every band will immediately move to the forefront of their genre? Whatever the reason, lots of revival bands are popping up all over the place in an effort to bring things back to good old days, or something like that. As unlikely as that is, don't tell that to these guys.

With this is in mind, it's not surprising that this band is a bit of throw back to older hardcore, and although to the band's delight, it's not a new concept, the Slumlords still manage to put out some catchy music. Aside from their hardcore influences, the band also throws in some bits of oi and street punk. Comparisons could be made to Agnostic Front, especially on the first track, "Dirty Rat." In general, this is a fun record to listen to, despite the band's apparent intentions; it's not overly heavy handed. It's more memorable than some other revival bands, and it's not forcing any specific agenda down the listener's throat.

Although the best way to change the landscape of current music might not be doing things over again, Slumlords have made a valiant effort to inject some energy into the process. Even if this band is never as prolific as their influences, I'm sure they've done them proud with this very strong release. Perfect Victim has quality been putting out some good music lately. Their curious name will probably turn some people off, but as long they put out quality material, I don't really care.

Our Own Worst Enemy MP3