Review / 200 Words Or Less
Charged
Summer 2008

Melotov Cocktail (2009) Campbell

Charged – Summer 2008 cover artwork
Charged – Summer 2008 — Melotov Cocktail, 2009

Charged is a hardcore band from southern California, playing a pretty straightforward style. The vocals are probably the strongest part of this band, reminding me a little bit of Verse or even Cut the Shit. The music ranges from fast-paced punk beats to slower breakdowns, and brings in a decent amount of melodic and singing parts, akin to Stay Gold. In their second release, Charged still sounds a bit confused in how they want their band to sound. Each part or song could be pretty solid on its own, but something gets lost in the transition between progressions. Sometimes the melodic side of the band seems misplaced, simply because the other parts don't fit as well as I'd like them to. The guitar sweeps in the last track, "Braveheart," show that this band is trying really hard to do something different. But it's not always best to try something different, because you can end up sacrificing solid parts for failed attempts at original riffs. This isn't bad, it just needs to know what it's trying to do, and not try to appeal to such a wide range of sub-styles.

5.0 / 10Campbell • May 27, 2009

Charged – Summer 2008 cover artwork
Charged – Summer 2008 — Melotov Cocktail, 2009

Related news

Come Together Recharged 2018

Posted in Shows on May 12, 2018

New politically charged Bouncing Souls song

Posted in MP3s on January 27, 2017

Recently-posted album reviews

Carnivorous Flower

Carnivorous Flower
Dead Broke Rekerds (2025)

There's a time to be cerebral and there's a time to tell it like it is. Carnivorous Flower lives by the latter. Their debut has 10 songs: 18 minutes in total. Each of the songs is catchy as heck and you can pretty much singalong on your first listen. It's "simple" punk with peppy energy and a lot of heart. … Read more

SUB/SHOP

Democatessen
Independent (2025)

Richmond, VA has always had a way of bending punk into something sharper and stranger, and Sub/Shop feels like a direct product of that tradition. Their EP democatessen isn’t a debut in the wide-eyed sense but a statement from musicians who’ve already spent years inside heavy, confrontational music and are now choosing precision over spectacle. Across six tracks, Sub/Shop delivers … Read more

Guerilla Teens

I Cyclops / Pride of the Savanna-7"
Heavy Medication Records (2024)

One-eyed wind-up dancing eyeballs boppin' and weavin' with Scott "Deluxe" Drake and Jeff Fieldhouse from the one and only and never replicated the almighty "The Humpers". I was lucky to see them back in the 90's in Toronto at a hot, sweaty club in the dead of summer, back when there was a blue hue of cigarette smoke, a faint … Read more