Complete Control/Krum BumsThis split features two of Texas's finest punk rock outfits; Complete Control who features ex members of Strap-Onz, play a Motorhead influenced UK 82 punk rock style, the end result reminds me of Cock Sparrer and the Krums Bums play a slightly similar style to CC but add a little bit more thrash and manic vocals to their sound.
The first half of the split is Complete Control, who bring us two new tracks and a cover of The Krum Bums song "Cease Fire". I got to say, I was really feeling the material, the music itself has a real upbeat feel to it with some nice leads thrown in here and there but what really makes this band enjoyable for my ears is the vocals. This guy can howl out some of the finest vocal lines in punk. Their take on The Krum Bums song was fucking awesome, they sped up their own sound a bit to stick to the blazing original but the vocals add all the character that is needed, very good.
The Krum Bums bring two new originals to the table and also bring a cover of their split buddies, Complete Control's "Are You Ready". I wasn't feeling these tracks as much as CC's but they are very solid. I really like the combination of strong shouted back up vocals coupled with the vocalist's hoarse strained delivery. These guys bring a slashing thrash influence into their sound, they really tear through their songs. The cover sounded good, they added a little bit of their own flair to the song, and the vocals are manic as hell and add some of their character to the song.
Considering the bands recorded at different studios, the production on this gets the job done on both sides, just the right amount of rawness with quality recording. The bass especially, sounds really good, it has a nice warm tone that rounds out the band's sound nicely. The guitar tone on both sides sounds good, no complaints on either side. The drums sound good on both ends, no complaints there either. I really like the vocals for both bands, you couldn't have asked for a better mix job. Props to both producers for the jobs they did on this one.
This is a promo copy and while I got most of the visuals I don't know if this is the actual booklet that would accompany the real deal album but I can talk about the front and back cover. The front cover looks pretty good, nothing mind numbingly original but it looks good. It relies on mostly a black color scheme with white and red accents. The back of the CD case is a cool black and white drawing of what looks like a caped wooden anteater with a sword pointed at a zombie in a graveyard.
Rating: 3/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: We Were Dead (CC) and In Sickness We Prevail (KB)
Thesis: This serves as a good introduction to both bands. If you like what you hear I'd suggest picking up Complete Control's debut 11 song full length "Reaction". I must say though, if I was going to buy this, I'd opt for the double 7" version.