V/A – Broken Bones Sampler / 2003 Broken Bones / 14 Tracks / http://www.brokenbonezrecords.com/ / Reviewed 24 January 2005

Just before people yell at me for this review, I’ve already reviewed the Fixed Idea, Ambivalent, D.E.K., and Hotrod Boogie songs on this sampler, as they were also on the full lengths released by each band. Thus, out of the 14 tracks on the disc, I will be covering only 6. Even Lower’s “Mountains & Miles” starts out with the distortion that everyone knows, that same generic brand of distortion practically present on half of all punk bands’ music. One amazing thing happens with Even Lower, though, and “Mountains & Miles” has a heavy Weezer feel to it, whether it be the Rivers Cuomo-esque vocals on the track or the happy, looking back to the sixties style of pop that heavily influences the track. Hints of the Misfits can also be heard with Even Lower, showing up more convincingly during their “LocknLoad”, itself much more of a pop-punk type of song than “Mountains&Miles” would seem to indicate. The same high quality of dual-vocals dominate both track, and make the overall experience positive. Look out on “LocknLoad” for the sizzling bass solo between the choruses.

Losers come through with a thrash metal meets early-eighties hardcore feel, sort of like M.O.D. met with Agnostic Front. Every single guitar line for their sub-minute “Fuckin’ Bitch” degenerates into distorted fuzz, and the slower-tempoed “Screw-Up” shows a more melodic sign of the band. When I say melodic, I’m not talking about any of that new invention called singing; rather, screaming is the soup du jour, and when they are out of that, the vocalist speedily speaks eir lines. Overall, the band is reminiscent of some of the newer crust bands out on the market today, bands like Cruci-Fetus and Behind Enemy Lines.

Finishing off this sampler is the antithesis to the bands that have immediately preceded it on the disc, the very rap/Latino-influenced Radio La Chusma. Their tracks on the sampler use the impressive bass of an Even Lower and stretch it out to a much more laid-back tempo (Thoughts of You). Still wrapping matters up in a sub-three minute run-time, the more sedate stylings of Radio La Chusma are by no means evidence of wankery like so many other songs in that style (I’m looking Santana’s way). Broken Bones has put forth a very solid compilation with bands that are surprisingly diverse, almost as much so as those bands that are currently signed to the label.

Top Tracks: LocknLoad, Screw-Up

Rating: 6.3/10