Special: First Listen Thoughts: The Offspring "Let The Bad Times Roll", Atreyu "Baptize", The First Rock Band On Mars "The First Rock Band On Mars" EP

The Offspring - Let The Bad Times Roll

Label: Concord Records

Press release: SoCal punk icons The Offspring have announced the release of Let The Bad Times Roll – their tenth studio album and first LP in nearly a decade, following 2012’s Days Go By. Let The Bad Times Roll won’t find the band shying away from topical material – and it certainly won’t find the band abandoning their cheeky, punk-rock roots.

My thoughts: I expected more given the wait between albums and it's not like they had scrapped other albums since Coming For You made it into the tracklist and that song was unveiled in 2015 as being a part of the upcoming album which finally seen light in 2021. Oh and they decided to give us a cover (The Hall Of The Mountain King) and a rework an old song (Gone Away) as part of the 12 tracks. In case you were curious the originals are better. The cheeky cut "We Never Have Sex Anymore" was not fun or funny but the classic punk rock hits like Breaking These Bones and This Is Utopia are worthwhile listens. Overall probably more misses than hits given the filler but we'll see how it ages.

Atreyu - Baptize

Label: Spinefarm Records

Press release: California metalcore crew Atreyu have announced details of their new album Baptize, due out June 4th on Spinefarm Records. Following the departure of frontman Alex Varkatzas last October, the band – vocalist Brandon Saller, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist/vocalist Portner McKnight and drummer Kyle Rosa – are forging ahead with new material.

My thoughts: Atreyu was able to write some catchy hooks on Baptize but it definitely is not nearly as strong as their earlier records. A lot of the songs feel repetitive in nature. The singles were a mixed bag with Warrior being the best example of the repetitive nature but No Matter What and Untouchable are other examples of this. Oblivion may be the best song on the album with a special nod to Sabotage Me which at least sees the band try something new. Like The Offspring above this album is a mixed bag with some cuts I'll go back to but a lot of generic filler that was not needed.

The First Rock Band On Mars - The First Rock Band On Mars EP

Label: Self-Released

Press release: The kid-friendly, parent pop punk project, The First Rock Band on Mars, comprised of Kellin Quinn, Ryan Key, Howi Spangler and James DiNanno, are releasing their Self-Titled album just in time for Father’s Day. Inspired by the project’s founder DiNanno’s first children’s book, The First Rock Star On Mars. The 5-track EP is set for release on Friday, June 11. The aforementioned book was actually what initially brought the group together. What began as just a narration for the book soon became an original 5-track EP and thus, a new project was born.

My thoughts: Honestly this record rocks. It's really only 4 tracks without the intro or the instrumental outro. But we get a punk rock cut (I Know What I Want), a pop punk banger (Rockstars Of The Universe) a little bit of screaming (The First Rock Band On Mars) and a mid tempo slice of goodness (Comet). If you grew up going to Warped Tour in the 00's but now have young kids this is what you need to spin for them.

Special: First Listen Thoughts: New Found Glory "Forever And Ever x Infinity", Protest The Hero "Palimpsest", Casa Loma "This Is Coping"

New Found Glory - Forever And Ever x Infinity:

Label: Hopeless Records

Press release: NEW FOUND GLORY will release its tenth studio album, "Forever + Ever x Infinity", on [June 19] via Hopeless Records. The band has put together a quintessential record, supremely catchy with sing-along anthems, trademark breakdowns, and sweetly poignant lyrics.

My thoughts: It's a great New Found Glory record overall however I will say that there are a few songs (Himalaya and Same Side Sitters mostly) that have subpar chorus' but are otherwise great. Stay Awhile, Like I Never Existed and Trophy are the non-preview tracks that stand out after one listen but I'm excited to give it multiple listens.

Protest The Hero - Palimpsest

Label: Spinefarm Records

Press release: “Palimpsest is by far the most challenging record we have worked on,” says lead guitarist Luke Hoskin. “The writing and recording process saw so many delays, it’s honestly hard to keep them straight. We are very proud of how each hurdle was handled though, and the end result is a record that we believe is deserving of such an endeavour.”

My thoughts: Palimpsest is a strong Protest The Hero album. I'm not a music nerd but I'm well aware the band are great musicians, that being said in past albums it seems they were trying to hard to impress the music nerd crowd which made for a less enjoyable experience for me however they've toned that down here and upped the lyricism and story-telling which makes for an interesting dive into American history.

Casa Loma - This Is Coping

Label: Pure Noise Records

Press release: “I did this for sanity” is the bold opening statement from bassist and co-vocalist of Man Overboard Nik Bruzzese, as to how his new solo project Casa Loma was born. The upcoming debut EP This is Coping  showcases a collection of songs Nik recorded as an artistic expression to channel events in his life the only way he knew how. 

My thoughts: I'd love to say that this is a great project but I just can't see myself getting into it. Nik's vocals are so different than what I'm used to. It's not until track 4 & 5 that I get what I know of Nik, the instrumentation is also best on those songs. I can appreciate this was a personal project for Nik but I'm just not sure it's for me but I'll give it some time before I put a nail in that coffin.

Special: First Listen Thoughts: Anti-Flag "20/20 Vision", Handguns "When The Light Burns Out" and Echosmith "Lonely Generation"

Before we get to the first non TV show or best of Special since December we have to crown the winner of the TV Show bracket... Drum roll please... Lucifer fought valiantly but in the end it was Suits picking up the W by a handful of votes. Join us next March when Lucifer will look for that elusive win after being 2nd place 2 years in a row.

Anti-Flag - 20/20 Vision

Label: Spinefarm Records

Press Release: With 20/20 Vision the Pittsburgh, PA based band prove that they have plenty of vitriol left, aiming to face the challenges of our chaotic socio-political time head on. Opener “Hate Conquers All” pulls no punches, immediately drawing a line in the sand against the fascistic hate mongering of the Trump administration and making it clear that 20/20 Vision is an album intended to explicitly address the here and now.

My thoughts: Anti-Flag has been at it for 20+ years of protest songs yet they've never actually attacked a president outright but that changes with 20/20 Vision and more specifically Donald Trump in case you missed the artwork. It's an album full of songs about being pissed off but with an optimistic tone that we can make change. The album definitely needs more listens before I can declare it's better than it's predecessor (American Fall) but it's definitely got a shot after one listen.

Handguns - When The Light Burns Out

Label: Self-Released

Press Release: When The Light Burns Out is the fourth LP from Rigatoni Island pop-punk band Handguns and was released on January 1st 2020 at midnight. For this album, the line up from their first 2 EP's Don't Bite Your Tongue and Anywhere but Home were returning to record this album.

My thoughts: For a self-released album this record sounds similar to past label releases from the band so they definitely put the time, effort and money into production. Not their best effort but can certainly come close after more listens as the bones for a memorable pop punk record even if there are a few misses on first listen, something you don't normally want to determine on a first listen but songs like "Liquid Therapy" make that happen but thankfully songs like "Cap Peeler" and "Glass Lanterns" overpower those misses.

Echosmith - Lonely Generation

Label: Self-Released

Press Release: The sibling trio -- comprised of Sydney, Noah and Graham Sierota -- announced their sophomore LP Lonely Generation will be released Jan. 10. It will be the band’s first release under their new Echosmith Music record label, which was founded in 2018 with Warner Music’s Alternative Distribution Alliance.

My thoughts: Blending soft female pop vocals with indie rock melodies generally works but Echosmith makes it work better than most. I was worried with them deciding to self-release their sophmore album, especially nearly 7 years after their debut but they made it work. Only time will tell if Echosmith will return to an upward trajectory or if this is simply the beginning of the end for the band but if you enjoy pop-rock music with a good amount of slow jams mixed in you won't be disappointing with this release.