Altarboys
Greatest Hits
Last Chance Records
It was destined to happen; punk rock made it to Portland, Oregon. Sure, they’ve got a Starbucks and mass transit, but they also have a hardcore punk scene lead by the Altarboys. It’s the Complete New Urban Experience. As old school hardcore goes, they’ve got all the markers: cool names, reasonably interesting lyrics and a mix that sometimes lets you hear the words. A quick spin through this disc left one line in my fading mind: “we’re angry, we’re young, we’re focused, we’re driven.” Sounds to me like they’ve just come out of a sales meeting.
They do have good lyrics, and that sets them a few millimeters above the competition. They have the right anti-corporate attitude, the right level of fuzz guitar and mindless drumming, a good, readable lyric sheet, and they sound pretty much like everyone else, so you can’t go wrong if you live for moshing. Hardcore intellectuals, you gotta love them.
Last Chance Records: http://www.lastchancerecords.com
