Bomb TownI was first attracted to punk music simultaneously through two outlets. The first was one that most won't admit to… MTV. My first proper introduction to punk was through videos of bands like Bad Religion, Green day and The Offspring. Then I went to college and became friends with a kid that listened to a lot of punk. Through him, I fell in love with ska-punk. I know it's not fashionable anymore to admit to liking this punk sub-genre, but I don't care, because I still regularly listen to many of those old CDs. I still, in fact, listen to these bands because I didn't get into them just because it was trendy at the time, but simply because I loved the music. Ska is upbeat and fun. How many forms of punk music can you say that about?
I admittingly have not kept up-to-date with any bands currently in the ska or ska-punk scene. And now that I have heard Bomb Town's new album, I seriously regret my apathetic behavior towards ska. This album is amazing! The band is effectively diverse using many forms of music to operate their arsenal. Obviously from my opening paragraph, they are predominately a ska band. I myself though, can get bored with traditional ska bands after a few tracks. Bomb Town stays fresh through 14 tracks by integrating punk, dub, hip-hop, dancehall, reggae, hardcore, and even a little jazz into their brand of ska tunes. With such a unique plethora of genres you'd think the fluency of this record might be compromised. Somehow Bomb Town's ultra-slick songwriting and strong guest appearances from the likes of King Django, Dr. Ring Ding, Rocker T and a particularly amazing contribution from Ras Aiden (to name just a few), keeps this record flowing freely from the first to last song.
Interrobang is defined inside the artwork as "a nonstandard English-language punctuation mark intended to combine the functions of the question mark (also called the interrogative point) and the exclamation mark (known in printers' jargon as the bang). The typographical character is a superimposition of those two marks." I don't think I've ever seen an album title with a more appropriate name. This CD hits with a bang as if trying to make a clear statement, yet it is so diverse it will leave listeners questioning WHAT had just hit them. The fact that this band hails from my home state of New Jersey and I've failed to detect them on my radar is frankly embarrassing. I certainly will not let this band go unnoticed in my eyes any longer. I suggest you pledge the same.
Rating: 5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: "Melt Your Brain", "Fire Come Down", The Devil & The Lord Of Hosts" & "Undertaker"
Synopsis: I will be seeking out any other releases from this band, because they are the real deal. Albums and bands this good don't come along too often. It is up to us as listeners to embrace them when they do or they won't be around very long to create more enjoyment for us.