Turbo A.C.’s kill punk

STOMP RECORDS
Dillon Aubin

Contributor

New York group The Turbo A.C.’s’ latest release, Kill Everyone, does little to enhance the band’s reputation in the punk rock community. When their career began in the mid-90s, their aggressive sound and hardcore image demonstrated their ability to shake the foundations of the New York punk scene. But seven albums later, it seems that they’ve lost the raw energy, and recorded an album that is completely overshadowed by their own reputation.

STOMP RECORDS

It would be unfair to dismiss the album as trash, but in the same breath, it fails to hold a strong grip on the listener’s attention. In short, Kill Everyone is painfully average.

The album has a generic sound that limits its ability to stand out and contribute new ideas to the punk rock genre, following the same formula that has been recycled for years. Kill features the same old minimal chord arrangements, aggressive tempos, screeching vocals and lyrical narratives of utter mayhem. When punk first emerged in the 70s, these traits held cultural significance. But in 2011, this approach to making music gets old fast.

To be fair, not all 17 tracks fit this description. Some of them are even worse.

Kill occasionally wanders into the mainstream and fails miserably while doing so. The odd song has a pop-punk vibe, which clashes with the violent atmosphere that the album was designed to radiate. It doesn’t help that the album’s production is too clean, eliminating the raw energy that is punk.

Songs like “Take Me Home” and the god-awful title track are slower, melody-based, and too radio friendly to be considered punk. On the one hand, 17 tracks of anarchy and nihilism is a snore fest, but on the other, any leather-clad punk rocker will buy the album in hopes of hearing pure adolescent rage, and cringe at anything that resembles the cursed “mainstream”.

On a positive note, the album has a redeeming quality. The Turbo A.C.’s rhythm section is fantastic, anchoring the band down to their punk roots, with the exceptional Kevin Prunty on percussion. His aggressive playing style preserves the chaos of punk and keeps the band from sounding soft.

Bassist Tim Lozada also makes vital contributions to the band. His distorted bass tone is a noticeable feature in each track. These two skilled musicians come together perfectly on the track “Ancient Chinese Secret”. Prunty’s powerhouse drumming and Lozada’s heavy bass riffs come together to form the best track on the album. But sadly, this could not save the album from total mediocrity.

Kill Everyone is not completely unlistenable. But at the same time, it gives no reason for listeners to take it seriously—17 tracks of generic punk and pop music can be a little frustrating. This album is merely fair game for punk rock enthusiasts, but if you’re looking for something innovative, look somewhere else.

 

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