Rating: NNN
It’s tempting to give the Bronx high marks for simply existing at a time when guttural punk’ n’ roll bands are harder to find than ever, not to mention ones as musically ferocious and lyrically left-field as these L.A. head cases. The John Reese-modelled opening chords for Knifeman remind you of a time when Rocket from the Crypt, Zeke and Electric Frankenstein still walked the earth, and for some that’s a warm feeling.
But the Bronx’s third self-titled album sounds a little too comfortable. Compared to the heat on their blistering debut, III is a touch lukewarm. Though singer Matt Caughthran breaks new ground with actual hooks and dare we say melodies, most effectively on Past Lives, the band soldiers on with enough stock riffs to sink Caughthran’s cause.
Top Track: Past Lives
