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

Crystal Lake

The Weight Of Sound
Century Media (2025)

Formed in Tokyo in 2002, Crystal Lake have spent more than two decades shaping their own high-velocity hybrid of metalcore, hardcore, and atmospheric chaos. Few bands of their era survived the genre’s shifts with their identity intact, and even fewer survived a complete vocalist change. But instead of slowing down, Crystal Lake sharpened. Now fronted by John Robert Centorrino, the … Read more

Tired Radio

Hope In The Haze
Red Scare Industries (2025)

I knew of Tired Radio, but I didn't really know the band's work. When Red Scare announced they'd signed the band, I figured it was a good excuse to dive in -- and I'm glad I did. Hope in the Haze is the title of their Red Scare debut and that title kind of sums up their general vibe too. … Read more

The Resinators

Recorded In 2005 By Jay Reatard
Independent (2024)

Interesting little slab we got sent to SPB by a Mr. Ed Young. Two originals and a cover, recorded in Jay Reatard’s living room back in 2005 as the title suggests. So that would be around the time of The Reatards’ Not Fucked Enough for anyone keeping track. Jay had apparently just switched from analog to digital recording but it … Read more