Pop/Punk Is Alive and Kicking!
I do own a few split CD’s, although I often regard these as singles, however for the most part these are just a small showcase for artists to give you a taster of themselves. Here we have what we are told are two of the most promising two Pop/Punk bands in UK. My biggest issue is that you only get two songs each for them which still only gives you a slight notion of what you might get on an album. All Or Nothing are heavily in the Pop/Punk genre sounding a little like Allister or Plunket, whereas Chaos Days have a tougher-edge mixing Pop/Punk vocals with Post-Hardcore music.
The first track here is ‘Hate Being The Dip Guy’ by All Or Nothing, which opens with big riffs, that when the vocals kick in simmer down to chugging melodies. It’s sing-a-long that is a little too tough to be Simple Plan, and falls into the category of Pop/Punk by numbers that was more popular about 6 years ago. For me this isn’t an issue as I love this genre, however I wonder whether there is still a large market out there. The band’s second song is, ‘Don’t Do This’ which is a little more like New Found Glory and slightly better than the first. Not bad.
Now, Chaos Days have a more complex sound that moves the genre forward better incorporating some Emo and Post-Hardcore without sounding harsh or too heavy. First song, ‘You And I’ starts of with some melodic guitars before a fast-paced drum beat kicks in. There are less harmonies here, but a more well-rounded sound. The second song, ‘At Heaven’s Gate’ starts with screaming that sounds like it is going to be post-hardcore, but instead slips back into something that is a little Zebrahead mixed with Reel Big Fish at their heaviest with a sprinkling of Funeral For a Friend. The band embrace the current trends and mould this into what they like.
As a four-song EP this is a nice release. Both bands are good at what they do and each bring a couple of well-polished songs. It’s hard to choose between them. All Or Nothing stick to the blueprint of classic Pop/Punk, and Chaos Days are pushing the boundaries of the genre to create something new and exciting. Great, great, great.