U.S. Roughnecks – Twenty Bucks and Two Black Eyes

In a scene bombarded with emo bands and pop-punk bands, its sometimes hard to remember what real punk is. Sure, there are a few bands out there that still play old school punk rock, but its always nice to find another one that brings back the memories. U.S. Roughnecks are one of those few bands, and their 14 track debut album on Hellcat Records reminds us of what punk used to be.

Hard hitting guitars, heavy bass melodies, powerful drums, and hard, fast, somewhat rap-like, vocals. Think of bands like Lards Frederiksen and The Bastards, or Roger Miret & The Disasters, or maybe even the Forgotten, and then you’ll have a good idea of U.S. Roughnecks. Twenty Bucks And Two Black Eyes is a tough, solid album about cops, the working man, young punks roaming the streets at night, and rejects. The only real downside to it is the fact that most of the songs sound somewhat familiar, there isn’t really anything that distinguishes one track from the other. Sure, there’s an occasional spur that makes the song special, maybe a great guitar riff or bass melody, but those aren’t often.

Twenty Bucks And Two Black Eyes is a album for the aging punk. The one who wants to remember the good old days of fast punk, hard hitting, tough, punk rock. The new listeners may not be as interested in it as its not something they can really relate to; but it is still fun for a listen.