Review
The Spotlight Syndicate
Forget the Static Past

Substandard (2003) — Zed

The Spotlight Syndicate – Forget the Static Past cover artwork
The Spotlight Syndicate – Forget the Static Past — Substandard, 2003

So I get this girl up in my room and we start licking each other's tongues, and before you know it, our clothes start to come off. But then all of a sudden, bam! I realize I need to put on some good love making music, or I ain't gonna get no gerjiner tonight. I start flipping through possible albums and by chance I come upon ...Forget The Static Past by The Spotlight Syndicate. With little or no hesitation I began playing this rocking little ditty. Her reactions were mixed at first, but in the end, I put it in her end. This story could very well be false.

You are probably asking yourself at this point, what made me decide to play this and not Keanu Reeves's Dog Star? Simply, because this album is good for nearly any situation, including "filling the flat tire with smiles and a bright yellow sunrise". If you're in the dancing mood, the butt romping punk influenced beats, the rolling Gang Of Four esque bass lines, and post electrocution keyboard riffs will inspire even the most Caucasian listener. If you are a casual music fan and just want some good pop music, look no further than this Substandard release. On the other end of the spectrum, if you're an avid music follower, be prepared for the tractor beam. For you are about to get sucked into this rock 'n' roll scenario.

With each listen I realize how much more this album is just fucking rock 'n' roll, but not without the flatness that so many "rock 'n' roll revival" bands seem to carry with them. One way that this is pretty obvious is in the lyrics, there is an actual backbone to them. The style seems to be influenced by hardcore and punk rock, with, for the most part, four to five word lines. They combine a nice combination of vagueness and literal phrasing that allows you to have an idea of what he's talking about, but the equations haven't been filled in for you yet. And if you ever decide to see them live, be ready to sing "one last chance, dance!" in the moment of silence. It is quite the fun moment.

The lack of a guitar isn't really that noticeable, due to the fullness that the other instruments provide, but the addition of this legendary six stringed axe could result in a even more full sounding sound. In no way does it sound bad though, don't get me wrong. From the newer songs I heard, this seems to be addressed. This is their first release, and I can only see their musical creations rising in every category, minus suck. At times when nearly every band is trying to create the most epic/brutal sound, it's nice that a fun record can come out that has integrity and can be felt viscerally.

8.3 / 10 — Zed • February 28, 2004

The Spotlight Syndicate – Forget the Static Past cover artwork
The Spotlight Syndicate – Forget the Static Past — Substandard, 2003

Related features

Related news

Terror (no pun intended...ok maybe a little bit)

Posted in Breaking News on March 5, 2004

Recently-posted album reviews

Haywire 617

I Don't Wanna Say Goodbye
Roadrunner (2026)

How does one describe what differentiates a good hardcore band vs. something special within the space.It's really difficult to explain but Haywire 617 has proven to be something special.When boiled down to base elements Haywire is a hardcore band in the vein of something like latter day Blood For Blood (specifically their more Rock n' Roll/Oi elements with Rob singing). … Read more

super*user

Gutless Wonder
GC Records, Ideas Are Bulletproof Records (2026)

Detroit is famous for bands like the MC5 and The Stooges, White Stripes and of course KISS. Fellow Detroiters super*user may sound nothing like any of those bands but I would have thought it would take some KISS-sized balls to intentionally start your punk record with a riff ripped off from U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday”! Maybe that one’s unintentional but … Read more

Nick Soulsby

Born of Struggle, Living in Hope: The Anarcho-Punk Lives of the Centro Ibérico (1971-1983)
PM Press (2026)

Living in Hope , as the subtitle suggests, is a punk-centric history of the Centro Ibérico, an anarcho-punk squat at 421 Harrow Road. It is also the first book-length treatment of the space, which was at the crossroads of far-right fascist violence, police surveillance, housing disputes, and the punk scene. Founded in 1970 by Spanish Civil War veteran Miguel García … Read more