Scratch

by Scott Hefflon

Alright! The back-to-basics chugga-chugga powerchord slam-a-long is back! The demise of Boston’s punk gods Gang Green left many shuffling their feet, dreaming of daze gone by. The Stilphen Bros. are back with an attitude. Now more alternative/metal in their approach, they’ve involved a sledgehammer drummer named Mike Lefebure and throaty Perry Farrel-gone-punk vocalist Todd Riggs. From distorted “doesn’t he ever breathe?” vocal lines and assorted moshables to the plodding, tuned-low crunch and stomp mid-tempo songs, to a sample from Crispin Glover in River’s Edge. The Helmet, Janes’, Soundgarden influences surface on the last two songs of this seven-song release to round out a unique blend of favorite styles. While the comparisons run rampant, Scratch has a garage grace that keeps them honest and always interesting.