Label: Riot Records

Date: December 11th, 2020

This EP actually got me thinking. I have never been to Las Vegas. The only picture of it in my head are the casinos, giant expensive hotels, strip clubs and overnight wedding chapels. Basically, what the TV wants me to see. But I do not think these four punk rockers came out of Caesar’s Palace, or any joint like that. So, are there industrial complexes in Las Vegas? Quiet, boring suburbs? A life outside of sin in “sin city”? Guess so.

Now, Gob Patrol comes to us with five tracks spanning just over nine minutes of playing time. Short and to the point punk rock is what is on the table. What’s more, the music the fellas perform is absolutely old school. Think of the earliest US punk rock. A whole lot of Ramones, some Oi! to spice things up with just a pinch of primordial hardcore.

The opener, “Fucked up Again”, musically takes me back to early 7 Seconds releases. Only with the raspy, hate fueled vocals. Already the second track is a clear homage to the Ramones. Clean as a whistle, no discussion. It goes on like that. Every one of these five tracks can be associated with a respective legend of the genre. Not only has this EP not a single shred of original thought to it, both musically and lyrically, but it seems a bit too diverse making it seem more like a compilation than an actual homogenous whole. The one thing tying them all together is punk rock, however Gob Patrol has trouble deciding what particular road to take within the genre itself.

Another thing that gets me worried are the vocals in “She Wants Some More”. Who took over the control of the microphone there? Sounds drunk and drugged. And I’m talking cheap drinks and terribly diluted drugs. The vocals really took the edge off the track.

Still, with all of this said, this is not a bad piece of punk rock. Yes, it has quite a number of faults to it, but it has a couple of tracks which are well worth your time. Especially since they do not take too much time. It is clear that Gob Patrol has the know-how. A definite direction is still lacking, but it seems to me that whichever path they eventually decide to take they could be successful in producing very memorable material. Even if following all of the clichés possible.

Now, please, do tell about the Las Vegas underground, the murky pubs, dark alleyways and such punky delights.