SlumlordsThe band from Baltimore that has been on the tip of everyone's tongue, and rightfully so, are back with their 2nd full length after releasing several EP's in between. If you're expecting anything other than fist pumping street punk with side splitting humor than you better get your ass up out of here.
As mentioned in the paragraph above, these guys still play the street hardcore stuff with an Oi influence. The album is full of 16 tracks that usually range between the 1-2 minute mark, and clocks out at 28:09. The only track that really breaks out of that time range and sound is the last track on the album, "Heavy Metal God (That Lives On My Block)" which features a nice little throbbing bass line and a nice little metal solo. It also shows that Jeff Perlin can sound a lot like Brian Johnson. It's nice change of pace, and hilariously delicious. Some of the tracks that appear on this LP aren't exactly new if you have/heard the Drunk At The YOT Reunion 7" (City That Bleeds, Drunk At The YOT Reunion), and Involuntary Skinhead 7".
If you've read any of my previous reviews for these guys I always gush like a little school girl about how much I love Jeff's lyrics, so why stop now? Just as with their s/t, he does a good job of changing things up and injecting some witty, honest humor. There's everything from songs about Coffee and Cigarettes, late night beer googles, hating holidays, not being able to get a fair one, perseverance, heavy metal worship and more. And props to Jeff for showing some love for hockey with the song title, "Digging In The Corner."
The production on this is as ideal as it gets, even a slight step above their s/t. As always, I love the tone coming from Scottie's bass. Nice warm tone that has just enough twang. The guitar has a nice full, driving sound that provides plenty of crunch and distortion. The vocals are right in front of the mix, waging war against the instrumentation. No complaints there. The drums are probably the only thing I would've changed. They're doggie paddling in the background of the mix. Nothing too glaring, but I would've liked to hear them fills better.
The layout is pretty much everything you would expect from a Slumlords release, it's pretty much identical to their s/t layout. This time around however the cover art ties a lot more into the lyrical themes of the songs: A kid swallowing ritalin pills(Kids On Ritalin), a guy holding beer bottles to his eyes (Beer Goggles), a guy holding a wrench with a truck behind him (Heavy Metal God), coffee and cigarette butts (Coffee and Cigarettes). The booklet is nice and thick, dedicating a page to each song with lyrics and random images that the band has used over the years. Also as an added bonus you get the video for "Involuntary Skinhead" on the enhanced part of the CD. Nothing new, but quality nonetheless.
Rating: 5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: Heavy Metal God (That Lives On My Block), Digging In The Corners, I Hate Holidays
Thesis: They sure as hell aren't reinventing the wheel, or even themselves for that matter. If you've heard these guys already and loved it, you'll love this release. If you listened to them before and never got down, 1) This isn't for you 2) You're an idiot.