I've never been a huge Slapshot fan (granted their early records definitely house some classics) and I'd be lying if I said I didn't think this band should've left well enough alone some time ago, but "Digital Warfare" does offer up some damn good songs, I must admit. It's straight up hardcore/punk with a subtle hint of melody and a driving sort of classic punk undercurrent, and of course totally gruff, burly vocal yells all the while. "Spirit of '81" has a catchier song structure, "Stupid Fucking Kids" is faster and full of the kind of pissed off attitude that I love, and at the end of the disc is an unlisted song... "C is for Cookie"... what the hell? I don't know what to make of that. They do a cover of Minor Threat's "Straight Edge" too, so hey... you make the call. The production is fine by me. I like the fact that it's not totally polished or anything, it's a tad rough around the edges, with a nice thick mix and a great bass presence. The guitar tone is great for what they're doing as well. The gang backup vocals are a little overpowering (granted they sound perfect) and sometimes the drums could be fuller, but fuck it. I like the sound for the most part. Aside from the badass diecut image of the infamous Slapshot icon on the front cover, I think the layout on this blows. I don't mind that it's all in black and white, but for some reason the lyrics are omitted in favor of nothing but a bunch of uninteresting live shots of Choke (I mean, uhhh... Jack Kelly) amongst a sea of kids, layered with tacky electrical diagrams and stuff. It's just boring. I'd much rather have seen the lyrics. But anyway, these are good songs, and if you've been a longtime follower of Slapshot I imagine you'll dig this. For me it's not an essential release. I like it, but it gets tiresome after awhile, so...
[Bridge Nine]
Running time - 29:39, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: Digital Warfare, Kill Your Parents, Tear Down the Walls]
Bridge Nine Records - http://www.bridge9.com
