Fenix TX - Purple Reign in Blood

There are various levels on which to attack the band for ever having done this record. First off, there's the terribly unfunny play on album titles and the disc's cover; second, to reunite for two shows after having only put out two mediocre records seems a bit ridiculous, but I won't question their motives. Fenix TX were a decent band--when I was in high school. Breaking up in 2002, members went on to do nothing really worth mentioning, save for William Salazar's project Denver Harbor. That a band comprised of guys who have to be in their mid-to-late twenties sees it worth their time to re-group and play songs that can't really be embraced by anyone over the age of 18 truly irks me--having an infatuation with Phoebe Cates and "tossing off to her pool scene" or fantasizing about threesomes are totally easy to relate to when you're a horny teenager, but it's really tough taking it seriously when it's coming from grown men. Some of the songs are pretty much in the same park as early Blink 182--silly and immature but only aiming for fun. The between-song banter is childish, making the musicians seem giddy to be able to use the word "fuck" without a risk of losing playground privileges after lunch. On the upside, the songs are performed as well as they were in the studio, so if there's a bright side to the disc, it's that anyone who finds these guys worth listening to will be more than happy with the outcome. They do cover CCR's "Fortunate Son"...eh. But for everyone else, feel free to pass it up. [www.fenixtx.com]