The long awaited new compilation by Tooth and Nail is in stores now. With new bands, new songs and a better cd-inlay with a lot of band photos. The same old hockey player on the cover, but covered with rotten tomatoes, fishes and bananas this time. Maybe that’s a symbol for the position a lot of T&N-bands hold in the Christian music market. Admired by thousands of young people, but disguised by the mainstream Christian market. The position of T&N in the secular market is quite different. For example, I bought this cd in a non-christian shop, where i found it lying between cd from bands like NoFX, Korn and Slick Shoes, Blindside and other T&N-bands. So they’re playing in the main league in music, but their ‘base’ is leaving them. For example, MxPx released two different “At the show” cd’s, one with the Ramone’s cover “KKK took my baby away” and one without it for the christian market.
But about the music now: is the quality of the T&N bands the same as the quality of bands on labels like Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords? The first thing I want to say about this, is that at least the variety on this compilation is much better then for instance on the last Punkorama comp. In contrast to Songs From The Penalty Box, there’s a lot of punk rock on this album. But bands like Craig’s Brother, the Dingees, Slick Shoes, Shorthanded, Dogwood, Squad 5-0 and last but not least MxPx all have their own typical sound. Ska/Rock and Roll-influences in the Squad 5-0 song (a new demo-song called "Apocalypse Now"), rhytm-based punk rock by Craig’s Brother ("Lonely girl") and the Old School sound of new-signed band Shorthanded. What all of the songs have in common are the catchy refrains and strong lyrics (esp. the Dingees with a song about a man with cancer). So, there’s a song for everyone who’s into punk rock, whether he/she likes the 80’s punk or the new school punkrock from the 90’s. The rest of the songs differ from hardcore/punk by Blindside, indie rock by For Love Not Lisa and Hardcore by 90 lb. Wuss and Blenderhead. Blindside has the best contribution to this compilation with a song from their brand new album “A Thought Crushed My Mind”, called "King of the Closet". It’s an awesome song with a lot of variety in it. It starts with just a shouting singer and ends with a hip hop beat like Limp Bizkit. The rest of the song is completely different from this band and it’s also a quite different sound compared to their sound on their Self Titled debut-album. Blindside is more punk than ever and I can’t wait for their new record!
Ghoti Hook do a Stavesacre-cover called "Aquiesce", taken from their last album "Songs We Didn’t Write". It’s not as good as the original and not really surprising too. I am curious about their new album, because “Songs…” wasn’t too good, in my opinion. Ninety Pound Wuss features a song from their album “Short Hand Operation”, a strange, experimental Hardcore-project. The band's line-up has been changing during the last years and, though the music is not bad, I prefer their old punk-sound on “Where Meager Die Of Self-Interest”. A little bit strange on this compilation is an indie-rock song by For Love Not Lisa, with old members of Puller. The most commercial songs are from Fanmail (2 former members of Plankeye) and the Huntingtons, Tooth & Nail's new headliners. They deliver 2 songs and both are very catchy pop-punk songs; better than their old records. They both are more BEC Recordings kinds of bands, anyway, because they're a bit too commercial for Tooth & Nail, in my opinion.
This compilation gives a good view on what Tooth & Nail is now. I think they’re ready for the next century with this collection of talented and fresh punk/hardcore-bands. It’s a good record for everyone who wants to know more about Tooth & Nail but it might be a bit disappointing for the old T&N-fans who used to buy the old “Penaltybox-compilations” with more Hard Music on it. All the hard bands are now on Solid State and you can best buy the compilation “This is Solid State volume 1” to hear the hardcore-bands.
So, I think T&N is not only comparable with labels like Epitaph, in some ways they are even better. Only one question’s still on my mind: Why did Brandon Ebel take the old MxPx song “Easier said than done” instead of a new song from their latest album “At the show”, the cd featured in the booklet?
Karel
Smouter
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