Static Thought – In The Trenches

Some labels can always be counted on to release solid records, records that you know what you’re getting, and records that fit the general vibe of the label. Epitaph‘s sister label Hell-Cat Records are one of those labels, they constantly find small bands that know how to spit off consistently good punk tunes;Static Thought is their newest fine, and their record, In The Trenches, just amplifies that Hell-Cat is a label to trust.

In The Trenches is a thirteen track onslaught of all that Hell-Cat has worked hard to create. With tinges of Rancid, Lars Fredrickson and the Bastards, Roger Miret & The Disasters, US Bombs andLeft Alone, Static Thought is your perfect example of street smart punk rock from the grimy Californian underground. The songs are fast, with a drumbeat that will rip open plenty of circle pits and snotty, fast, nearly undecipherable vocals being spat at you in a harsh manner with the occasional gang vocals to really cement the chorus in the listener’s mind and help pull the fists into the air.

But while they fit into the street punk mold, Static Thought are able to break free a bit and really create a sound that is there own. Yes, they do pull influences from many of Hell-Cat‘s back catalogue, they constantly transforms their songs into their own with crazy guitar solos being rampant throughout the release. Each song as at least one complex guitar solo that is as complex, fast and high as any other guitarist can do and always helping the song break free and become more memorable in the mind of the listener.

The songs are raw, fast and agitated. The band touches on touchy subjects like sex, classes, drugs and poverty – all with a backdrop of loud and fast music (and the solos that leaves the listener awe-struck). It may not be the most original, but In The Trenches doesn’t falter because of it. The album is still strong front to back. It’s fist-pumping, raw, and in your face showing that the East Bay still has some venom in their roots, and Hell-Cat will always find it for us.