Speak 714

The Scum Also Rises (Revelation)
by Tim Den

Rarely does one come across a band whose lyrical message and spiritual confidence overtakes their music. Yes, Dead Kennedys pulled it off in their heyday, but not many in this decade have… until now. Speak 714, self-described “pro-choice, pro-queer, occasionally pro-chemical, anti-racist, anti-homophobic, anti-organized religion, anti-clique pain in the ass,” takes the beliefs of hardcore back to basics: in-your-face, no-backing-down-’til-you’ve-realized-your-sins style. They’re here to make sure you treat everybody with respect, and they’re doing it by playing some furious (yet tasty) melodic old-school. From the initial gang-vocals of “Stick and Move,” the rhythms grab you by the throat and have you up against the stage. Sweaty and suffocating, you still manage to raise your fist and scream along. You demand justice, you demand equality, you demand that the song’s wife-beating, shit-eating subject be kicked to death. You believe in your demands. You believe in them because the rhythms are so passionate, there’s no other choice. You believe because sincerity bleeds through every note of the music, and truth through every urgent lyric. On top of it all, Speak 714 writes some damn good tunes. You have no choice but to buy it.
(PO Box 5232 Huntington Beach, CA 92615-5232)