Frenzal Rhomb - “Smoko At The Pet Food Factory”
September 12th 2011 10:26
Named after where the famed punk rock studio owned by The Descendents Bill Stevenson, The Blasting Room resides, Frenzal are back with a new album. Yeah, I know it’s hard to believe they can get their shit together long enough to record another record but after a few tours last year, it seems the band are back in action and ready to show us what punk is about. Short, fast, loud with silly nonsensical songs, where no track clocks in over two and half minutes!
Kicking off is single “Bird Attack” With only a dozen words throughout it’s a reminder of why we love Frenzal. It’s a pointless song thats funny the first time but gets boring after repeated listens but will go off live when you’ve had about 20 beers. “Mommy Doesn’t Know You’re A Nazi” is precisely about being a teenage skinhead Nazi and hiding it from mum. “5000 Cigarettes” is about trying to sell smuggled, black market cigarettes. It amazes me there’s a market for that still. “Knuckleheads” is an attack on enemies and ex friends as is “My Dearest Friend” before the more reflective and poignant message type song in “Just Because It’s Soap It Doesn’t Mean It’s Clean” which from the title you’d expect a joke track but is probably one the closest, serious punk rock song Frenzal will ever get.
“Back To The Suburbs” is about being grown up and possibly too old to be rocking out in pubs and getting smashed and suggesting it’s time to settle down with the missus in the suburbs. “Edward Sausage Fangs” is a poke at Twihards and goths who have always been a a favourite target of Frenzal over the years. “Alvarez” is about going out drinking with Descendents bass player Karl Alvarez. “Hungry Jacks Carpark” is a white trash junkie tale of some of the people you may find outside a Hungry Jacks restaurant in certain Sydney suburbs. “Snouts In The Trough” is a social commentary track and this point I realised how this album, musically, is some of the groups best. Sharp and catchy punk riffs complete with double kick drums and snappy power chord progressions.
The album finishes with “The Rude Tourist” which is cleverly done as while we, in Australia assume it’s about certain nationalities, chances are it’s more a reference to Aussies abroad and how annoying we can be!!
I’ll admit, I thought Frenzal were done. Lindsay has it pretty good as minor radio and TV celebrity, Gordy is one of the countries most sought after punk/rock drummers and Jay does, whatever Jay does, so to hear a new album was being recorded I was skeptical. I thought they could just easily tour every now and again playing hits and keeping us happy. Instead, they’ve written and recorded one of the best records in over ten years. It’s fast, catchy and funny and full of tracks that fans will demand to hear live.
Kicking off is single “Bird Attack” With only a dozen words throughout it’s a reminder of why we love Frenzal. It’s a pointless song thats funny the first time but gets boring after repeated listens but will go off live when you’ve had about 20 beers. “Mommy Doesn’t Know You’re A Nazi” is precisely about being a teenage skinhead Nazi and hiding it from mum. “5000 Cigarettes” is about trying to sell smuggled, black market cigarettes. It amazes me there’s a market for that still. “Knuckleheads” is an attack on enemies and ex friends as is “My Dearest Friend” before the more reflective and poignant message type song in “Just Because It’s Soap It Doesn’t Mean It’s Clean” which from the title you’d expect a joke track but is probably one the closest, serious punk rock song Frenzal will ever get.
“Back To The Suburbs” is about being grown up and possibly too old to be rocking out in pubs and getting smashed and suggesting it’s time to settle down with the missus in the suburbs. “Edward Sausage Fangs” is a poke at Twihards and goths who have always been a a favourite target of Frenzal over the years. “Alvarez” is about going out drinking with Descendents bass player Karl Alvarez. “Hungry Jacks Carpark” is a white trash junkie tale of some of the people you may find outside a Hungry Jacks restaurant in certain Sydney suburbs. “Snouts In The Trough” is a social commentary track and this point I realised how this album, musically, is some of the groups best. Sharp and catchy punk riffs complete with double kick drums and snappy power chord progressions.
The album finishes with “The Rude Tourist” which is cleverly done as while we, in Australia assume it’s about certain nationalities, chances are it’s more a reference to Aussies abroad and how annoying we can be!!
I’ll admit, I thought Frenzal were done. Lindsay has it pretty good as minor radio and TV celebrity, Gordy is one of the countries most sought after punk/rock drummers and Jay does, whatever Jay does, so to hear a new album was being recorded I was skeptical. I thought they could just easily tour every now and again playing hits and keeping us happy. Instead, they’ve written and recorded one of the best records in over ten years. It’s fast, catchy and funny and full of tracks that fans will demand to hear live.
Frenzal Rhomb "Smoko At The Pet Food Factory"
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