The Bronx

(Ferret)
by Jessica Parker

The Bronx are out to revitalize ’80s hardcore punk, and are doing a great job of it. Their self-titled album starts with a muffled guitar riff and drum beat before exploding and jolting you with a cathartic scream from vocalist Matt Caughthran. Clearly, he wants you to pay attention.

The Bronx are raw and tight. The combination of the rapidity of the beats, the hard-slicing guitar, and Caughthran’s melodic screaming amounts to the most pleasurably intense and hard-hitting songs. Because most of the album was recorded in a live setting, the record is gritty and even vintage-sounding. Another priceless antique is Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, who helped produce and record much of the album. Like the sound of the album itself, the pairing of The Bronx and Clarke is “new” and “old,” and it works out just right. The album is also a mix of angsty screaming and snappy sounds: Dirty but clean. This debut full-length provides the right balance of fun and seriousness, and I can’t wait to hear more. The band supports that thought, as their last song, “Strobe Life,” ends with the echo of Caughthran singing “I never want to run out.”
(167 Wayne St #409 Jersey City, NJ 07302)