Man, there has been some kick ass music coming out of the Vegas music scene as of late, and this band Moon Blood is one of the bands doing us proud. I don't know a thing about them, never saw them play, but a friend tipped me off to their demo, and said I would probably hate it, but I'm glad to say they were wrong - waaaaayyy wrong, which just goes to show me that they don't know me at all, because I really dig this. It's really good.

I don't know if this is a demo or not. If it is, it's recorded pretty good. Upfront, snotty vocals, buzzsaw roaring guitar, 1-2 1-2 simple oompa loompa Punk beats, all put together very well. Everything in the mix is dry, which gives it that early U.K. '82 Anarcho sound, which is the sound I guess they're after. Think Vice Squad, Dirt, Hagar The Womb, etc., maybe even a little Bikini Kill for reference points if you must. Being only 5 songs long, with each song pretty much coming in under a minute or so, this angry musical blast goes by fast, but standout tracks Tear It Out and Slowdown will have you hitting the repeat button often with this and listening to it over and over again. Guaranteed.

Check out this most excellent release from Local rabble-rousers Moon Blood. Soooooo looking forward to hearing more and more music from this young up and coming band. They are definitely on to something here musically, and I can't wait to see where they go with this. :)

This cassette only release is available from Moon Blood at every gig they play. It's also available digitally via the Moon Blood Bandcamp page, which you can go to by clicking here.

Manifest Destiny, the 2nd album the Adolescents have done with Concrete Jungle Records, carries on in the grand tradition that this seminal OC band first started some 30 odd years ago, and that is catchy, riff heavy melodious Punk tunes with an angry Pop bend. I'm not sure who's still in the band, and it's pretty much irrelevant at this point, because as long as they have Tony Reflex on lead vocals and Steve Soto on bass, it's always gonna be the Adolescents, no mater who's backing them. Opening track Escape From Planet Fuck sets the pace for the album with a hard guitar, fast and furious angst driven song full of impressive sing-song melodies and start/stop hooks galore. Great song. I wish the song Silver And Black was about the Oakland Raiders - it's not, but it should be, because it's that good - better than that lame Ice Cube song the Raiders have to hype them up now. Tony sounds great on here, getting better and better vocally like a bottle of fine vintage wine. I have no idea what he's carrying on about on here, but he sounds angry, he sounds passionate, he sounds like he's got something to say, which is good. Complacency and apathy are the worst thing that could happen to an old Punk, thankfully that hasn't happened to the Adolescents. They still sound hungry, they still sound like they mean it maaaaaaannnn.

Everything sounds pretty good on here, thanks in part to bass player / producer Steve Soto. Recorded and mixed by Paul Miner too, which explains why it sounds as good as it does sonically. Guitars are loud and pronounced, bass is punchy and well defined, and the drums are right where they out to be, not too tricky and never overplayed. Look, you know what you're gonna get when you listen to an Adolescents album - and you know that it's not going to suck, because the songwriting team of Tony and Steve have an ear for catchy, hooky, hard hitting songs, and that's exactly what this album is full of. There's not a bad track on here. It's not the best album they've ever done, but it's far from the worst. I'm hard pressed to think of an Adolescents album that actually does suck. Whatever one you think it is, it's not this one. Promise.

Available from Concrete Jungle Records. You can get it on beautiful red colored vinyl by clicking here. It's available on all formats from Amazon (click here). It's also available on iTunes if you do a search for it. "Like" the Adolescents on Facebook by clicking here.

Written by Karl Bakla.

You heard the man - go to The Social Set Bandcamp page by clicking here and acquire yourself one of these CD's the band has, which, I'm sure, will also be available at every gig the band plays. Also, become friends and "Like" the band on Facebook by clicking here.