So many bands come along these days and smash through the genre descriptions and make it difficult for people to recommend or describe without actually hearing it. This problem however, is not present when describing The Explosion. Formed in Boston in the fall of 1998 by vocalist Matt Hock, guitarist Dave Walsh, bassist Damian Genaurdi, drummer Dan Colby, and guitarist Sam Cave, these guys are certainly not difficult to pinpoint. It’s punk rock, it’s rebellious, and it’s heavy on the guitar and drums.
The Explosion were formerly on Jade Tree when thier debut self titled EP was released. Since that time they have bounced around, mostly on tour, until 2003 when they released Sick of Modern Art on the tiny Tarantulas label. And somebody, somewhere, was listening. Suddenly the major labels came calling, and a bidding war ensued. The result is Black Tape, The Explosions’ first release on the major label Virgin Records.
Punk rock artists these days almost have no choice but to pull from thier influences, and The Explosion are no exception to that. From The Clash to Green Day, thier sound is laced with punk rock acts of old and new. “We All Fall Down” is the first single from the album, and the catchy group chorus grabs and sticks to your cranium for hours after, I’m sure it performs well live. And previous tracks like “Here I Am” and “I Know,” really get the album off in punk revitalist fashion. Also, big points for the nice album linear notes and photos… very nice. The Green Day influence is obvious on the more radio friendly tracks like “Fall Down,” and “Mothers Cry, ” and the harder edged stuff lends comparison to an immature Social Distortion.
The band’s lyrics are the biggest dissapointment of the release, as punk rock is about rebellion and a way of life. That sign of rebellion is examined on the track “No Revolution,” as the band dismisses revolt in the current culture with the lyrics “lets light a match to these dynamite dreams.” Too many bands today tend to try and replicate this through look and sound, without offering much original style or material. The Explosion sit somewhere in between, at times they appear to be ready to jump into pop punk with the likes of Good Charlotte and Blink 182, and then they shift gears and jump on board with bands such as AFI, and sound like punk purists. Enough with the comparisons, but the question remains – will The Explosion live up to thier new found major label status? Time will tell.
