OC Rippers
Happy Hours Air Travel Club
***and1/2 out of *****
The Beachwood, NJ based punk rock outfit OC Rippers second album Happy Hours Air Travel Club is a revved up blast of old school punk & rock and roll.
The sixteen tracks contained here have influences that range from Black Flag, to Motorhead, to Murphy's Law as the group swirls between heavy rock and speedy punk with abandon. The guitars, drums, and bass all bang ahead with furry, demonstrated from the jump by the slashing fast opener "Mean Streets" setting a fantastic tone to the record.
"Downtown" is an album highlight with a 1-2-3-4 count off before the clanging, rampaging tune leads to a killer guitar solo, one of many. The band downshifts to a more mainstream, slower rock sound (with another great solo) on "Touch" while "Fictional Problems" uses dynamic drumming and quick tempo changes. The album is winningly produced, however, vocals like most punk/hardcore efforts are buried and mixed down, possibly intentionally.
The super crashing "Damaged One" displays strong bass work while "I'm Still Drunk" starts grooving before slamming straight ahead in punk fashion. "Money Bands" is chugging, while "Public Scene" amps the thrash metal. "Murder" is a more complete effort with a heavy rock riff to start, a grooving tempo and a screeching solo.
Both the Buzzcock's influenced "LUVV Muscle" and the Black Flag sounding "Late Nite TV Lover" (complete with fresh bass runs) are dynamite, as is the galloping closer "Nuclear Attack" as the band takes from their heroes and develops the sounds into their style. Mixing 80's influenced West and East coast punk vibes, OC Rippers come into their own on the successful Happy Hours Air Travel Club.
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