Review: Roll The Tanks - Suffer City (* * * *)

Occasionally, a band comes along that reminds you of how great punk rock can be when it isn't being sung by whiny little pukes who miss their girlfriends and loathe themselves (probably because they wear makeup and girl pants). One such band is Roll The Tanks, a new quartet hailing from Los Angeles who strive to bring back all that is good about the genre by channeling past greats like The Clash, The Ramones, and The Sex Pistols into a slightly more modern skin.

Roll The Tanks find the right balance between melody and noise throughout most of Suffer City, creating catchy tunes full of raw energy. First single "Police Me" is a good example of the group combining pop sensibility with a harsh, anti-authoritarian message and delivery which ends up being both pointed and fun. The album keeps a solid musical theme throughout, but the band make sure to shake things up with a few departures. "Kid Can't Catch A Break" and "Look At Me" are intense and angry, but "Gameshow Love" is a catchy pop-punk tune that would make The Ramones proud, while "Saddle Up" brings piano and banjo into the mix for a truly unexpected and impressive detour.

The lyrics are usually simple and occasionally juvenile, but rarely distract from what is a solid record from start to finish. Suffer City is a refreshing update of a classic sound and proof that punk is not dead.

Favorite Tracks: "Blood Flow," "Gameshow Love," "Saddle Up"


Get a free download of their song "Police Me" at Fuse.tv!