As time passes and musical genres develop they begin to splinter into a multitude of sub-genres for every niche that a band can think up. This is a needed development as amazing new music has been created by using different pieces from different genres to craft something completely new. On the other hand it is sometime refreshing to take music back to its roots and the beginning of a genre. Our recent discovery Suburban Vermin is doing just that.
The Seattle, Washington music scene is immediately associated with the Grunge sound of the early 90’s but Suburban Vermin take it even further back with their classic punk rock sound that inspired the whole Grunge movement. The band consists of Amanda Gamino, Jason Vermin. Greg Gibson played on their last record, but is no longer in the band. They have been compared to punk legends such as The Clash, The Ramones, and The Buzzcocks for their frantic live shows and authentic punk sound. The change and offshoots of punk have happened but Suburban Vermin are very satisfied going back to the beginnings and its gritty in-your-face attitude.
The band is on the verge of releasing their new record Headless Over Heels to push forward their sound to the waiting punk scene. The album will be accompanied by a companion comic book with each song being interpreted by a different artist. These artists range from the band’s hometown all the way to the Philippines. The opening title track “Headless Over Heels” sets the tone right away with its fast paced attack coupled with a catchy melody that brings back memories of early So-Cal punk. With most songs at between 2 and 3 minutes long we know these guys are lovers of the original scene. The punch in the face energy continues on “Metal Alice” with its banging drum beat behind some intense storytelling welcoming you into their own punk rock world. A grinding guitar leads the way on “Last Laugh” that brought back the East Coast hard punk scene to me. These guys know their punk history and are willing to provide a lesson. The frenetic energy continues on tracks like “Drunken Amazement” and “Emma” that will keep your blood (and maybe your fist) pumping. The closing track is a fun bass heavy cover of the 4 Non Blondes classic “What’s Up”. This record will leave you fired up and wanting more. Keep a look out for Suburban Vermin and more music at: http://suburbanvermin.com/
