Turbonegro – Party Animals / 2005 Abacus / 12 Tracks / http://www.turbonegro.com / http://www.abacusrecordings.com / Reviewed 16 November 2005

With a track like “All My Friends Are Dead”, one just has to hear the Misfits in Turbonegro’s sound. Well, maybe the comparison would be more justified if one throws in a little Offspring (Ignition-era) to the mixture. The poppiness of “All My Friends Are Dead” show a maturity to Turbonegro that only makes sense, considering that “Party Animals” is their sixth albums. Solid guitars, bass lines that chug throughout the tracks, and inspired yet familiar arrangements make this album into something transcendent. “Blow Me (Like The Wind)” is a track purely in the vein of Spinal Tap and The Darkness; the over-the-top entandres are validated by a style of music that simultaneously recalls seventies power rock like Kansas and Boston and the shrill guitar wankery of individuals like C.C. Deville.

Jumping back to Run-D.M.C. rap with more than a little hint of “California Love” for the hooky chorus of “City of Satan”, it may actually just be the bass that steals the show. Churning through the darkest, deepest recesses of the track, the bass line is more effecting than anything else that Turbonegro can muster. What is great about “Party Animals” is that there was a concerted effort by Turbonegro to make this like a mix CD that one could conceivably hear if they were at a party; “Death From Above” has a vocal presence that approximates Iggy Pop (both during eir MC5 and late, Sum 41-linked years). It is almost uncanny how much a track like “Wasted Again” recalls both Darby Crash and (more audibly) the Dead Boys; the track has a pacing that sounds just like an updated version of “Sonic Reducer”.

There may be a claim that the vocals have a Black Flag note to them; to that end there is a little similarity between “Wasted Again” and “TV Party”, but the smoothness of the track really divides the tracks into two separate spheres. The fact is that Turbonegro puts forth a catchy rock album that bests even “Permission To Land” in pure quality of output. Turbonegro may bounce around the different styles and eras of rock, but there is no doubting that any of these tracks were anything but the cream of the crop. “Party Animals” may primarily be sold to a younger audience, but there is enough material on this disc to ensure that anyone that ever picked up a rock album – whether it be AC/DC, Warrant, or even early Aerosmith – can find something to love.

Top Tracks: Al My Friends are Dead, Death From Above

Rating: 6.4/10

[JMcQ]