With original guitarist Blackie and bassist Lee supplemented by new drummer Pete, the band cranks out 14 new punk-pop tunes with hook-filled melodies and metal guitars that bridge from Matthew Sweet type power-pop to harder-rock.
Though there are many American touchstones for the band´s mid-tempo music (Ramones, Descendents, Mr. T Experience), there are also elements of the sort of UK rock bands that were lumped into late-70s punk/new-wave, e.g., Eddie & The Hot Rods, Bram Tchaikovsky, and Little Bob Story.
To be sure, the Hard-Ons filtered these latter influences through the angst of `80s hardcore, but they picked up the energy of the latter, without losing the melody and Stones-ian rock `n´ roll of the former. Even as they trash away at their guitars for tracks like ´´Sunny´´ and ´´Olympic Diver,´´ they lay on falsetto harmonies as a counterpoint.
Extra credit for the heavy-metal thunder of ´´(Every Time I Hear) Techno (I Pray for Death),´´ and its segue to the light-and-trippy ´´Breakfast Caramel.´´
This is their second new album on the Chatterbox label since their return, licensed for US release by Bomp. Ltd. ed. Colored Vinyl.
Tracklist:
Side A:
01 Sunny
02 Punk Police
03 Scared Of It All
04 Killing Me
05 Baka
06 Olympic Diver
07 Radio
08 Cat's Got Your Tongue
Side B:
01 Pimple Boy
02 Taxi
10 Race Track
11 Caravan Man
12 (Every Time I Hear) Techno (I Pray For Death)
13 Breakfast Caramel
14 Preservation Of A Wildcat