Mike V and the Rats "s/t" CD
[Indecision]
Here's a quick EP of hardcore/punk rock featuring former members of Outspoken and The Suppression Swing, fronted by pro skateboarder Mike Valley. Think pounding rhythms and rugged guitars with dry vocal shouts, to some degree reminiscent of Motörhead meets Black Flag (the former especially in "Viewpoint", the latter especially in "Never Give Up"). The material is pretty straightforward: Quick songs with simple chord progressions and dissonant textures (definitely inspired by the aforementioned Black Flag), basic arrangements... it's a no nonsense formula, but they do it well, and they don't really stagnate. The production is fine by me. I love the bass tone and presence, the drums are rock solid and provide a great foundation, the guitar tone isn't too heavy but isn't too raw or dirty, and the dryness of the vocals works perfectly with the way everything is mixed. The layout is really simple, all black and white with high contrast imagery. The front cover has the band logo and of course an iconic sort of graphic of a rat, then there are a couple of bands photos, and the center spread is pretty much straight white with straight black text. The songs tend to deal with personal topics and hold a largely positive message of perseverance and hope, for example, "When I look at the world I try to see the good, It starts at home and in my neighborhood, And I still believe in the golden rule, So I'm careful what I say and do," or "You've got to stand up and stand strong, You've got to keep on moving along, You've got to strive for something more, This life is a mission." They're not the most creative lyrics in the world, and the rhyming is too forced in my opinion, but the overall message is good. I wish this was longer, I actually like this a lot more than I thought I would for whatever reason. (7/10)
Running time - 11:43, Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: Viewpoint, Never Give Up, The Stand]
Indecision Records - http://www.indecisionrecords.com

This review has been displayed 3180 times.