Monday, April 16, 2018

Satanic Surfers - Back from Hell



Label: Mondo Macabre

This Swedish punk band's comeback album should be right up my alley. After all, I loved the pop punk that the Epitaph record label was putting out in the mid-90's.

However this album is boring as hell. Sure there's loud guitars and it's fast and melodic but it's mostly generic as hell. There is an experiment with combining reggae with Pennywise style surf/skate punk on "Self-Medication" and whilst it doesn't really help the song that it comes in late in the picture, it's hard to shake the feeling that this is the most innovative Satanic Surfers get.. "Ain't No Ripper" sounds like came straight from a skateboarding video soundtrack and Satanic Surfers got a well used but reliable cookie cutter. "Madhouse" asks that age old question, "Who let the dogs out? "Nowhere Fast" has a speedy edge that is reminiscent of the faster material on the later Descendents album but not quite as catchy. "Paying Tribute" is the Satanic Surfers version of the Descendents "Thank You" but the Swedes have a punk and roll edge.



This album will no doubt appeal to fans of skate punk and 90's pop punk fans who still pop out their old CD's now and again. Those looking for hooks and those looking something on the harder side of pop punk may find a little of what they are searching for on "Back From Hell" but whether it satisfies or even leaves the listener wanting more is uncertain.

2.5/5

Release date: April 13 2018



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