Album Review: The Graboids - Self Titled
Halifax's newest underground punk super group, The Graboids (named after the greatest Kevin Bacon movie of all time, Tremors), mixes members of past Halifax bands like the Joyless Streets, Nerd Army, Rockstorm, Windom Earle, Benefit Party, Gunt, Minvan Halen, and many more. Their songs are a mashup of intense drumming, crunchy bass, wild guitar hooks, and in your face vocals. In keeping with the Halifax punk tradition, their songs are short, with only one song on the album clocking over 2 minutes.
Songs about drinking, getting a beer gut, and drinking more make up the bulk of the catchy, well recorded songs. Noted recording engineer James O'Toole shows off all of his prowess not just in studio magic but also on the six-string, and all the guitar and drum tones are pretty much immaculate, or as immaculate as they should be for a punk rock record. There's no over the top production or extreme effects, just tight, dense instrument tones intended to be played loud or cranked up on your headphones.
The fourth track “Not Going Out Tonight” showcases the bands great songwriting, vocals, and lyrics – being out of cash and hungover, but you just gotta go out and party anyway – an experience perhaps drawn from Bruhms' long standing hosting of weekly Monday night party Rockin' 4 Dollars. While the vinyl ends there, staying true to theme, the online version of the album closes with “One Beer in the Fridge,” a classic heavy punk rock tribute to the final brew, standing above a lot of recent punk offers thanks to tight group vocals and O'Toole's punctuating guitar stabs.
As great as they are on record, the band's live show is their real claim to fame - with an energetic front man and enough beer to justify their devotion to the subject, they bring the party that they claim, even if afterwards you're still hungover and sporting a gut.
Stream the album in full at http://thegraboids.bandcamp.com or grab a great looking 7” (our's is in amazing red with swirled vinyl) while they last.
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