U.S. BombsIn the age of extreme sports and the X-Games, you probably have already heard of the name of the skateboarding and punk rock icon, Duane Peters once or twice. And you've probably heard of his other bands The Die Hunns and The DP Gunfight, and I'd bet you have definitely heard of this band from their 4 releases on Epitaph Records. Well, if you're already familiar with this band and own some or own of their albums then I'd suggest you stick to your old collection. This 15 track full length is full of that 77 sound that bands like the Clash and Sex Pistols made famous. They incorporate some banjo, piano, and harmonica work into the songs courtesy of Kerry Martinez who plays bass in the band now. While the songs have their moments here and there, for the most part it gets real boring. The songs would've kept my attention a lot more if they were a little shorter and maybe a little more varied. Maybe add a little bit of modern touch to their love for the retro. So many great bands have done this, and done it better. However, Duane Peters does a good job of mixing up his vocals, keeping them from becoming stale. The lyrics are pretty good, song topics about Duane's problem with drugs "Heartbreak Motel," Duane's hate for the US Gov't, "Destroy The Nation," and "4th of July," a song about hating the American dream in "Just Like You," and plenty more songs of the same nature. This record is good in small doses, and isn't something that has high replay factor. The production on this is stellar. Duane's vocals sound great, the bass is turned up and bounces along in the background, the guitars have a nice treble tone and still maintain good clarity, the drums have a good dense sound to them. Overall, damn good. In terms of layout, this thing looks great. You get a nice thick booklet with the lyrics printed in various fonts and colors with different collages and pictures of the band on each page. Everything you need to know is in the booklet. Big thumbs up, it's nice to see when labels and bands pay extra attention to the packaging and layout of a record, it makes you feel that much better having the tangible record in your hands. In the days of internet downloading it is a must. And if the nice layout wasn't enough, there is a video for the title track, "We Are The Problem," on the enhanced section of the disc. It seems you can expect a video for every album released by Thorp and that's why their on top of the game.
Rating: 2.5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: Just Like You
Thesis: A lot of this bands older fans will much rather listen to their older records, and I can't blame them. But if you're new to the band, and like them, pick this up and show support for a great up and coming label run by one of the hardest working guys in underground music.