We start things off with "Zirconia" an dark, ambitious rocker that features the tightly wound lead vocals of John Malone, who adds a distinct element and sound to the band that can't be duplicated by anyone else. "All Smiles" features a nifty percussion arrangement brought to you courtesy of Steve DeBenedictis, who offers up a rhythmic blast that allows the song to explode instantly on contact and penetrate the ears of all listeners who are currently listening. "American Debt Slave" features the band's trademark dual toned guitar riffs, expressed eloquently by Mick Greenwood and Rjan Savary, who when combined, show that they are a formidable force to be reckoned with both on record and on stage.
My favorite song off the album is "Chaos & Confusion", an extremely melodic, deeply toned opus that highlights the skills of James Hogg, the band's resident bearded bass enthusiast who contributes a great deal on the band's melodic side along with Steve, and when they're combined with the hard-edged guitar riffs and John's strong vocal presence, they create a track that perfectly highlights the band's vision all in one, fell swoop. "Bombs Away" is a more darker number that brings things down several notches on a track that shows what happens when four extremely talented musicians are all on the same page musically, and are focused on nothing but the task at hand to deliver the goods to an eager and receptive audience. The disc ultimately comes to a close with a cover of the Talking Heads classic "Life During Wartime", a track that fits in perfectly with the band's somewhat politically toned message embedded within the music here, and the group puts a unique twist on the tune that is tailored made for them and ensures that the band's style is well represented here as the song fades into black. One thing I've noticed about the band is that they are non-conformists, meaning that they can't be grouped into one particular genre out of the hundreds of types that currently exist out there today. That suits the band particularly well as they all have distinct personalities that make them stand out from the other bands out there today: John is the charismatic frontman who represents the band's outlandish charm, Mick and Rjan make up the guitar section of the band and give the band its riffs and other assorted banter typically displayed on stage in concert, and Steve and James, who make up the band's rhythmic section and are typically in various stages of undress when in concert, whether it being barefoot or going topless with no shirt on much to the delight of those in attendance.
All in all, a different but solid effort from The Interrobang, who have made a strong first impression with their debut, and the game remains the same with hard edged guitar riffs and a strong musical presence that is best experienced in concert in order to get the full grasp.
Album Review: 3.5/5
Track Listing:
- Zirconia
- All Smiles
- American Debt Slave
- Chaos & Confusion
- Bombs Away
- Life During Wartime (cover)
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