A.R.E. Weapons - s/t (2003)

A.R.E. Weapons' eponymous album is veritably the most punk rock album ever made, almost 30 years after punk supposedly died with the demise of Sid Vicious. Drugs? Check (guitarist Ryan Noel died of a heroin overdose in 2004). Sex? Check. Rock 'n Roll? Check. Punk rock "fuck you" attitude? Motherfucking check!! In fact it's their confronting, fatalistic, and fearless attitude that accentuates the already kinetic fusion of electronic and rock and makes this album so definably "punk." These are real NY street kids making real NY street music just like in the mid 70's. Nearly every track on the album is in your face and gets your adrenaline pumping like no other record I've ever heard. Songs like "Don't be Scared" "Changes" and "Headbanger" especially carry this demeanor to the maximum. I used to hit the treadmill to this album and I felt like I could run for 100 miles until the album finished and I was lowered back down to a more normalized state of mind. I could never think of a proper follow up to it, so I usually just quit running at that point. As their name and album title implies this record is a powerful weapon that will get your juices flowing and make you want to get yourself into some trouble - and by all means you should from time to time.

Rating: 9.5/10

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