Ten Foot Pole
Insider
Epitaph
One of Epitaph’s favorites make their long-awaited resurgence! Ten Foot Pole bring in a couple new faces and twelve new tunes to keep your head bobbin’.
The signature aggressive power punk is still evident, albeit with a more melodic focus and less forceful vocals. More attention seems to be given to thoughtful lyrical content and making sure they remain in the forefront of the song, not just a novelty of garbled yelps. You will find Insider not quite as raw as Rev ‘s two-minute song assault, possibly the result of producer Ryan Greene, who has worked with the likes of NOFX. He considers this work with Ten Foot Pole to be one of his (and the band’s) most ambitious projects to date. But don’t dismay, a listen to “Still Knee Deep” or “Seven” will conjure up the fondest punk memories.
I guess change is inevitable with most bands and many times there is either a “love it” or “hate it” response. Insider falls somewhere in the “I really like you, but I’m not sure if I am ready to commit” stage. TFP has certainly maintained enough of their roots to let you know they can still give any band their three chords’ worth, but be prepared for a bit of a departure from your “average” Epitaph punk-fest – not that there’s anything wrong with that! There is a nice diversity (as diverse as punk goes) on this record, so go with it!
A Ten Foot Pole live show has long been a favorite of concert-goers. 1999 should be no exception, with plenty of dates around the country to support “Insider”. If you haven’t seen them – DO.
Epitaph Records, 2789 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90026
