It was a lovely, tranquil day. The sun was shining, the temperature was balmy, and there were only a few puffy clouds disrupting the clear blue sky. Not bad. Not bad at all. Shortly after noontime, I set out to make myself lunch. Just after I put the finishing touches on a delightful sandwich the phone started to ring. I checked the caller ID and recognized the name of a friend on the LCD, so I picked up the handset.
“Hey there stranger. What’s going on?”
“Penfold, dude! You’ve got to help me man!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. What’s happened?”
“I don’t know man, I don’t know! But something is seriously wrong!”
“Okay, are you in any danger right now?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“All right. Take a deep breath, relax a little bit, and tell me what happened. I’ll help you any way that I can.”
“Thanks Penfold. You’re a true friend man. Well…everything was normal when I woke up this morning. Nothing was out of the ordinary. But then I listened to this album and my world turned upside down.”
“Uh, huh. I see. Music can certainly have that effect. Believe me, I know. So what album was it that created such turmoil?”
“That is the strangest aspect of this whole thing! You remember that music label Victory Records?”
“Yeah, I’ve never really had any use for that label. In fact, not to badmouth them or anything, but I can’t remember a band or artist signed to that label that I’ve cared for at all. Not one.”
“Exactly dude, exactly! None of the music released by that label has ever excited my interest either. It’s not terrible music, just not what I’m looking to listen to during my free time you know?”
“We agree there. So what does this have to do with your situation?”
“Everything man! I put on the latest album from Comeback Kid, a group signed to Victory Records, and the world went nuts!”
“Don’t laugh Penfold. I know you too well. You’ll think I’m kidding, but I’m totally serious!”
“I promise, I won’t laugh. Now give me some examples of the world unhinged.”
“All right, all right. You remember that I live on a farm right?”
“Of course. How could I forget? I visited you there just a couple of months ago.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Well anyway, when I played this music, I felt a shift in reality. Kind of like an earthquake or something. I walked into the kitchen and my dogs were sitting at the kitchen table smoking cigars and playing poker! I know you’ve seen that painting. That was near identical to the scene in front of me.”
“Now hold on a…”
“And that was not the strangest part. I backed out of the kitchen into my living room, and looked out the window towards the barnyard. My pigs had sprouted wings and were flying around their pigpen. Flying dude, flying! And to top that off the doors on my barn were swinging open. I knew I had locked them the previous night, so I ran out to see if something unwanted was inside the barn. When I entered the barn I found a stairway leading straight down that was lit by torches. I don’t have a basement in my barn man! I can’t explain why, but I decided to descend the stairs. In no time, I came to a door. When I opened the door, I saw Hell!”
“You saw Hell?”
“Yep.”
“Was it hot?”
“Oh, it was hot alright. It was a hot mess! Everything was frozen over!”
“Are you sure you took your medication this morning?”
“Penfold, you know that I don’t take any meds man. You know that!”
“You’re right, man. I’m sorry. I just…”
“Forget it man. You won’t understand until you hear these songs.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll listen to the album.”
“You do that man. Do that, and call me back!”
That was how I found myself seeking out a copy of Comeback Kid’s Symptoms And Cures. It was easy enough to find, and I quickly loaded it into my media player and hit play. Talk about a surprise! What I said before to my friend was true. I’ve never cared for music from Victory Records, so I was caught completely flat footed when this band began their musical onslaught. And make no mistake, it is an onslaught!
Comeback Kid plays a fiery brand of hardcore / punk music. But is it melodic hardcore? Is it straight hardcore? How punk is it? Who cares!? These songs are musical wrecking balls, and that is all that really matters. Right out of the gate the full fury of this band is unleashed. I knew almost instantly that I needed to throw my preconceived notions right out the window where they could plummet several stories to their timely demise. The album opens with the one-two punch of “Do Yourself a Favor” and “Crooked Floors”. Both of these songs begin with high tempo passages designed to give the listener the lay of the land. To be honest, I was expecting this aspect. What I did not expect however was for the band to transition, slow things down a bit, and let the two guitarists drop Hammer of Thor riffs that come out of nowhere. Before I knew it, my head was banging forward and back violently, and I was powerless to stop it. Seriously; those righteous, meaty guitar tones; give me a break!
The album progressed and more and more highlights emerged. “Because of All the Things You Say”, “Balance”, and “Magnet Pull” each deliver a bit more melodicism while maintaining their sharp, diamond-cut edge. In fact, I would have to say that “Balance” might just be my favorite track off the album. That was a tough call with all the other strong tracks on offer. There is just something about the vocal variety, uplifting (at least to me) guitar lines, solid rhythm section work, and numerous tempo changes that takes top honors from this listener. Another standout is “Manifest”. Unlike some of the other noted songs, this one unflinchingly begins at warp speed and never lets its foot slide off the accelerator. In a word, brutal! It was time to give my friend a call back.
“Hey Penfold, did you listen to the album?”
“Yeah I did! You were absolutely right. This album is terrific!”
“Crazy right?”
“You know it! I never would have expected this from Victory Records. I suppose this is a lesson, teaching me once again to never rely on my assumptions. They almost always end up wrong.”
“Boy howdy, I know what you mean. So…have you noticed anything strange?”
“Well, nothing like what you told me about. I mean I don’t live on a farm, so there are no flying pigs, and I don’t own any dogs so there are none around my kitchen table playing cards. Looking around I don’t notice…”
“Penfold? You there man?”
“Penfo…”
“Yeah man, I’m here. Listen, I’ve got to go. Something has happened.”
“What man? What happened!?”
“Can’t talk now. I’ll call you later.”
--Penfold
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