Album Review: Drug Church – Cheer

Drug Church are quite proudly one of those bands that can’t be conveniently pigeonholed, embracing the aggression of hardcore and the defiance that is at the core of the best punk rock, but this is tempered this with the melodic side of 90’s era alternative and big hooks that embed themselves deep in your cerebral cortex and refuse to come out. Cheer is their third full length and it’s a glorious contradiction, heavy yet delivered with a pop sensibility, lyrics that can be equal parts funny and uncomfortable, in short this is serious music that doesn’t take itself too seriously and doesn’t care whether you like it, it’s here on it’s own terms.

From it’s Grubby opener you are struck by the surprisingly melodic hit that somehow manages to possess the aggression of hardcore, this is backed up by the pummelling riff of Weed Pin that I can guarantee will stick with you long after the album has finished playing. Unlicensed Hall Monitor is a cathartic blast that precedes two of Cheer‘s more unexpected moments, Conflict Minded is a song of two distinct parts, the opening hardcore blast is followed by a melodic passage that leads perfectly into the echoing hypnotic riff of Tillary. Cheer abruptly lurches back into what Drug Church do best, the explosive Unlicensed Guidance Counselor that urges the album forward and you can almost feel the mosh pit that this song will incite.

Every track on Cheer hits you square between the eyes, but in each case you don’t expect it and you don’t see where it’s coming from. Avoidarama captures the essence of 90’s alternative and brings it into 2018, Strong References and Dollar Story are perfect examples of Drug Church‘s chimera of styles, of course Drug Church aren’t going to get stuck in a rut as the album’s closing track, Foam Pit, brings an another unexpected twist as it embraces and incorporates elements of alt rock. Cheer is an album that is guaranteed to appeal to fans of Culture Abuse, Therapy? and the more abrasive moments from Pixies, this is an unpredictable ten tracks that takes in everything from the punk and alternative spectrum and twists it to their own design. Cheer is easily Drug Church‘s finest and most accessible album to date and it’s one that borders on perfection, maybe it’s time to go to church?

Cheer can be purchased via Pure Noise Records here