Thursday March 28th 2024

Penalty Kill – “Breaking The Ice”

penaltykk

Penalty Kill – “Breaking The Ice”

 

I know as much about hockey as I do flower arranging (where’s Steph?) but this is an apt CD to review at this time because from what I hear the Boston Bruins came back from a big deficit this week to win a series and move on in the playoffs.

I mention this because the band is called Penalty Kill (I do know what that means) and the first track on this CD is not a song but a recording of a hockey fight with the announcer saying, “Blood splattering all around the rink.” Oh, my- this never happens when I’m at the symphony or ballet I attend. Later he says, “They have been beaten and they have been beaten up,”

Much the same way Penalty Kill does to our eardrums but in a satisfying way with their brutal assault of punk, hardcore and metal. They do this with grinding guitar chords and slicing lines like knives being sharpened; powerful, bellowing hardcore vocals; a tight rhythm section that’s as likely to chug along in a metal rock groove as a hardcore thrash. This band has an equal amount of all aforementioned genres. Equally metal as they are hardcore as they are punk- the only qualifying characteristics are that it’s intense, hard and real; and this they are. Let’s check out a few tunes.

 

“Murder Scene” starts in a slow almost funk beat with dark, dissonant guitar chords that make me think of Andy Gill from Gang Of Four (Who?). Then the forceful, charging vocals comes in as the song menacingly moves along. After that the rhythm changes before a blindingly fast metal solo comes in and then shortly after that the song ends. But wait! We return to the scene of the crime with a deadly coda tacked on to finally take it out.

[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/Murder Scene.mp3|titles=Murder Scene]

 

“No One Gets Hurt” starts off with some guitar and vocals before the rhythm section kicks in full steam ahead into a hardcore rant before things pull up for a chanted chorus with a double bass drum kick gliding in. I believe the lyrics might refer to the moshing at shows which is true but not entirely.

I once asked a girl to mosh and she turned me down and my heart was shattered into a thousand pieces. Great guitar and drum work on this one.

[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/No One Gets Hurt.mp3|titles=No One Gets Hurt]

 

“Gone Away” is about a relationship that didn’t work out. Though it is a song about a strange and rare situation the lyrics oddly ring true. “I tried to put up a fight/ Though nothing ever turns out right/ Of course this happened, What the fuck?/ I guess I’m shit out of luck.” With a merciless drum beat, insistent vocals and aggressive, growling guitar and bass we’re on another wild trip where guitars soar in and vocals bleat convincingly. Luckily, we get to hear an excellent song sprung from misery.

[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/Gone Away.mp3|titles=Gone Away]

 

“Bloodletting” has the bass setting up a nice guitar chord passage/every beat drum hit before things change a bit. The song recalls The Dictators to me but perhaps only Andy will latch onto that reference. This is a mix of punkin’ hardcore vocals, pounding drums and adept guitar and bass work to create a slashing, crashing onslaught of sound until near the end when the beat kicks in again with the intro before the beat pauses for a guitar lick to bring the song to the end.

[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/Bloodletting.mp3|titles=Bloodletting]

 

Penalty kill refers to when a team has to play shorthanded and this band does play music with courage against unjust odds as people’s ears are turned to the more easily digested, mundane music known as indie, rock, pop etc.

But have no fear for with this album Penalty Kill out-skates the competition with a sound that is true, pure, rough and hard and shoots a goal through the legs of the goalie and into the center of our ears, hearts, minds and souls.

SCORE!

 

(Slimedog)

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