Ten Foot Pole

Bad Mother Trucker (Victory)
by Scott Hefflon

A great record title and album cover, and a peppy, melodic record, if a little dated and thin. Ten Foot Pole probably has a devoted fan base (three records on Epitaph and a slew of high-profile tours’ll do that), and Victory signed them when Epitaph dropped them. They’re decent mid-’90s melodic punk, don’t get me wrong, but Fat has released a couple dozen better records than this, and the new emopunk school will consider this so five minutes ago (just like they’re about to be). Dennis Jegard has a clear, accurate voice (beats emo with a stick) and the band is “raging” like Pennywise or whatever, but for all the joking and “thundering” drumming, it’s just not exceptional.
(346 North Justine St. #504 Chicago, IL 60607)