Get Dead have released their fifth full length Dancing With The Curse, on Fat Wreck Chords.
Ska-Punk For 2020
It's easy to dismiss this band as Rancid Jr, but that doesn't do them any justice whatsoever - and that's no disrespect to Rancid.
With their latest album, Get Dead continue to prove there is still a room in the punk rock condo, for ska-punk.
Vocalist Sam King is the standout on this record - backed by frantic guitars and driving drums, his rhythmic singing brings in equal parts punk rock grit, and hip hop bark. He manages to cram a mountain of words, into a short amount of time.
He's not all grit and growl though, as he gets a little more melodic on songs like Stickup, Glitch and Pepperspray.
Confrontation finds the band taking a stand against the polarization of society. With its Refused-esque guitar lead, King sings 'Mass manipulation/They found a way to split us up/Pit us up against each other/By dissecting human beings/Divide us up into subgenres'.
Hard Times fuses straight up ska with a radio rock lead riff. It's an upbeat song that brings hope in hard times. 'Pay no mind baby hard times maybe/The thing that you need/Sometimes things break down/Never easy fixes/But we'll find a way/We'll find a way somehow'.
Pepperspray might just be the highlight of the album. With it's acoustic verses, eventually giving way to punk fury, it fits nicely alongside protest songs written by the likes of Frank Turner. They mourn the loss of friends and loved ones, to injustice, while also taking a stand against those injustices. 'I'm gonna give them hell/I'll tell them this is for everyone that this world took away from me that I loved/For every case that's been made/For every can of pepperspray for every judge/This place is just done breathing...'.
Dancing With The Curse has many different sides, all of which are strong sides. If you want angry punk rock, it's there. If you want hopeful upbeat ska-punk, it's there. If you want more introspective quieter parts, they're there as well.
Standout Tracks On Dancing With The Curse:
Disruption
Stickup
Glitch
Confrontation
Pepperspray
For more new music reviews, read our review of Lament (Epitaph) by Touché Amoré, here.
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