Monster Squad
Fire the Faith (Pirates Press)
Red vinyl, expanded gatefold insert, with flexidisc
Northern California street punk band Monster Squad have been knocking around since '97 and, while members have come and gone, the quality of the recorded output has remained remarkably consistent. Superb punk label Pirates Press has just reissued a chunk of the band's back catalog, given it all a bit of spit and polish, and it makes for a gloriously subversive listening experience.
Fire the Faith came out in 2007, towards the end of the W. Bush presidency (hence the sleeve art depicting corporate greed and a lust for war). The art is awesome, and the record comes with a poster so you can hang it.
But the music is incredible. fire and uncompromising fury, driven by "radicalized politics, a never-ending war, and the onset of an economic depression." It's all fuel for Monster Squad though, and songs such as "You Are Not Alone" and "Force Fed" sound incredibly relevant today.
The bonus flexicdisc ("State of Confusion"/"Leach") is equally gnarly.
Not for Them (Pirates Press)
LP, Pink splatter vinyl
Not for Them is Monster Squad's debut EP, recorded at the end of their teens when they should have been full of hope but, apparently, were not happy with the state of the world around them.
Their anti-racist and anti-fascist stance earned them brawls with cops, jocks, rednecks and nazis, according to the press release. We're just happy that the band is still around fighting there good fight.
The songs are excellent. Rough as fuck, which benefits this street punk. "Putin Poor and Broke" and "Fascist California" just don't let up. The fact that this is its first release on vinyl makes it all the more special.
Strength Though Pain (Pirates Press)
20 year anniversary, pink splatter LP with flexidisc
Strength Through Pain was released in 2004, and it's the band's debut full length album following a lengthy period of putting put tapes, CD-Rs and splits.
It was worth the wait though; songs such as "Switchblade Kids," "Nihilistic" and "Death and Destruction" highlight just how majestically these guys can harness frustration and sheer anger, and repurpose it into pure punk energy.
The rerelease has been handled beautifully by Pirates Press -- we get a 12 page booklet, a poster, and another one of those awesome flexidiscs ("Won't Conform"/"Strength Through Pain").
All Out of Control (Pirates Press)
LP, pink splatter vinyl
Originally released shortly after the debut album, All Out of Control has been out of print since 2006, so this 45 rpm reissue is most welcome.
The song were while touring, and they were clearly juiced up on adrenaline.
"The band continued to explore new ideas, such as incorporating a cowbell on 'Church and State,' which talks about the overwhelming presence and oppression that organized religion has in politics," reads the press release. "'Gotta Get Out' focuses own the ruts people find themselves in--nowhere to go to escape daily life with the inability to control anxious and hopeless feelings."
Sheesh--that still hits hard.
