Karate High School
The League of Tomorrow
Evo Recordings
Have we not yet beaten the superhero thing to death? Here’s another rock and roll album with “league” in the title, this one based on a graphic novel by lead singer Paul McGuire. The story is a bit hard to follow, but the cartooning is pretty decent. The story’s protagonist seems to have sold his soul, has girlfriend problems, and then some evil scientists attack him, but the connection between these events is hard to discern. Opening track “The Secret Handshake” isn’t too bad, and while there’s nothing terribly catchy here, it’s not terrible. Karate High school employs a straightforward lead-bass-drum hard rock sound, with McGuire’s vocals clear and distinctly audible over the layered and fuzzed-up background. McGuire has a nice range, and his vocal style could take him places. What I’d really like is a copy of the comic that inspired this disc; I think that might make it into a more coherent whole.
Karate High School: http://www.karatehighschool.com
