H2O - "Don't Forget Your Roots"
January 21st 2012 02:28
Cover songs are always polarizing. You either have people fall in love with your version that the song becomes yours.(Johnny Cash "Hurt") Or they hate it so much it becomes a black spot on your musical history. (Madonna "American Pie"). But what about an entire covers album? Metallica tried it, Guns N Roses tried it, even NOFX put one out last year. It too, is often fraught with danger. But taking risks is what hardcore band H2O have taken their entire lives. Drawing from the bands and songs that have influenced their music and their lives, the New Jersey? Natives tackle some of punks moat respected artists. And do so with an impressive result.
H2O's "Don't Forget Your Roots" serves as a tribute album than a cover album. They stay true to the original vibe even if they do make some stylistic changes where appropriate. There's no ska upstrokes or horns in the Mighty Mighty Bosstones track "Someday I Suppose" but it's as catchy as the original and is one of my favorite tracks on the album. While on the other hand their version of 7 Seconds "Satyagraha" has a Bouncing Souls feel to it, that you could almost mistake it as Bouncing Souls covering the track. There's a few lyrical change to Rancid's "Journey To The End Of The East Bay" and "Sickboy" by Social Distortion holds true to the original.
Another standout is the new wave take on "I Wanna Live" by the Ramones. It's not often you can get some tough looking hardcore blokes turn a song by one the premium punk rock bands of our era and make it sound like a new wave song! Their take on The Clash’s “Train In Vain” is not bad. They have stamped their own style onto this song which might annoy some Joe Strummer enthusiasts but I think it kind of works.
But, that said, like any covers album there is bound to be a shocker and strangely enough for me it’s when they cover fellow hardcore acts and good friends Madball and Sick Of It All. I put it down to the song choice. Neither track is the best representation of either band who can have a few skippable tracks on their albums. Otherwise, this record is worthy of a few plays. The final track, a cover of Warzone’s “Don’t Forget The Struggle, Don’t Forget The Streets” is a fitting song for H2O and really sums up the mentality and mateship of hardcore punk.
H2O's "Don't Forget Your Roots" serves as a tribute album than a cover album. They stay true to the original vibe even if they do make some stylistic changes where appropriate. There's no ska upstrokes or horns in the Mighty Mighty Bosstones track "Someday I Suppose" but it's as catchy as the original and is one of my favorite tracks on the album. While on the other hand their version of 7 Seconds "Satyagraha" has a Bouncing Souls feel to it, that you could almost mistake it as Bouncing Souls covering the track. There's a few lyrical change to Rancid's "Journey To The End Of The East Bay" and "Sickboy" by Social Distortion holds true to the original.
Another standout is the new wave take on "I Wanna Live" by the Ramones. It's not often you can get some tough looking hardcore blokes turn a song by one the premium punk rock bands of our era and make it sound like a new wave song! Their take on The Clash’s “Train In Vain” is not bad. They have stamped their own style onto this song which might annoy some Joe Strummer enthusiasts but I think it kind of works.
But, that said, like any covers album there is bound to be a shocker and strangely enough for me it’s when they cover fellow hardcore acts and good friends Madball and Sick Of It All. I put it down to the song choice. Neither track is the best representation of either band who can have a few skippable tracks on their albums. Otherwise, this record is worthy of a few plays. The final track, a cover of Warzone’s “Don’t Forget The Struggle, Don’t Forget The Streets” is a fitting song for H2O and really sums up the mentality and mateship of hardcore punk.
H2O Don't Forget Your Roots
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