Youth Decay – Older Fatter Drunker

Youth Decay come blazing onto the scene with their debut EP Older Fatter Drunker. One of their members happens to be Stu Ross (Comeback Kid, Living With Lions), which may have piqued some listeners interest and there are members from other great Canadian groups like Daggermouth and Carpenter as well, creating a bit of a west coast punk super group. The EP flies by with four songs in ten minutes, but it begs for repeated listens. 

Things kick off with Little Winnipeg, which is surprisingly reminiscent of fellow Canadians, Grade, with its soaring vocals and guttural screams. It is a great song, although lyrically it is packed solid with inside references that most listeners won’t understand. 

Next up is Stench of Regret, a raging hardcore track that explores the downside of wild nights. The screams are stronger here and the pace is faster as they sing, the stench of regret fills my nose. Depression sets in, I wish I could wash it away like the puke on my clothes. They follow the same formula as the lead track, emotional hardcore blended with flourishes of pop punk, and it works well. The influence of the band members’ previous musical endeavours is evident. 

Psycho Cyclist offers a look at the other side of the cyclist conversation, tearing down the self righteous riders over a hardcore blast, like the negative response to Propagandhi’s Hadron Collision. They explore 80’s hardcore sounds here and they are more than welcome, providing some depth to the EP with a change of pace. It’s fast and it’s funny. 

Things end on a strong note with 33, as Stu McKillop’s raspy vocals wearily reflect on expectations and growing up, singing I’m 33 and last night I threw up on my jeans. What the fuck is wrong with me? How did I get my self here? This hole is so deep. The songs display an almost reluctant maturity, focusing on aging in a punk rock lifestyle rather than pizza and teen romances like most of the current crop of pop punk groups. It definitely doesn’t have the PMA of the hardcore scene either though; instead showing the cracks in the facade of aging punks, oozing angst and disillusionment. 

Older Fatter Drunker is a great introduction to a newly formed band. They definitely start strong, showcasing their years of experience in the music scene. While it is short and fast, this isn’t a raw demo. Now we just need to impatiently wait for their debut full length.