Only Crime - Virulence

Reviewed by david

Having to overcome the hurdles of being a so-called supergroup is rarely easy for band, and usually isn’t accomplished. Only Crime manage to jump a few of those on Virulence, the band’s second release, but ultimately aren’t on par with its members’ more groundbreaking projects—Bane, Good Riddance, The Descendents—and so on. The record is obviously steeped in melodic hardcore—Good Riddance’s Russ Rankin is one of the style’s foremost vocalists. Bill Stevenson has been the prime force behind the caffeine-fueled pop-punk for The Descendents and ALL for two decades, in addition to spending time smacking skins for Black Flag and producing too many records to count. Converge guitarist-turned Bane founder Aaron Dalbec and Hagfish alum Doni and Zach Blair round out the all-star crew, giving Only Crime one of the most formidable and well-established line-ups that punk rock has even seen. Expectations aside, Virulence is a better-than-average modern punk rock album—but it doesn’t stand out as particular exciting or ambitious, either. Tracks like “Eyes of the World” and “Just Us” feature the kind of riffing found on early Bane records, but Rankin’s coarse singing carry the songs into melodic verses atypical of anything considered hardcore. Much of Virulence feels like it’s limiting itself, afraid to attempt things out of the norm. Then again, that’s a plague on nearly the entire modern punk scene, and not that many people seem to be complaining. Beyond that, Only Crime’s learned veterans wind up with another pretty good record, for what it is. Don’t think you’ll get blown away, but if you’re a fan of all the members’ previous bands (or like the idea of a heavier Good Riddance/poppier, less tough Bane) then this won’t be a disappointment. [www.fatwreck.com]

Feb 7 2007