Some bands are like wine; they only get better with age. Trash Talk's new "full-length" effort is a great example of just that. Trash Talk has been playing shows since late 2005, with a demo, seven inch, and split with Bay Area friends Steel Trap put out in just over a year. But this is what we've really been waiting for. Everything seems to come out right on this record. Clocking in at just over nine minutes, these guys don't give you time to fuck around. Even so, the songs are all ordered fittingly so that as soon as it ends you want to listen to the first song again.
Lee's vocals get harsher on every recording, and it's only fitting to the lyrics for these new songs. The lyrics stray from the typical topics in this genre and paint a bleak picture of hatred and self-loathing, including the near renunciation of the band's hometown in "Sacramento is Dead." The blatant display of aggression is still apparent, but is directed inward instead of only at others.
The recording quality is something to be noted all on its own. Everyone at Oakland, CA's Castle Ultimate Studios somehow manages to make good bands sound even better on record. The drums are notably better executed than on previous recordings, sounding heavier and echoing all over the place, giving everything a larger sound.
This record's got what you want. It's faster and heavier than whatever is was you last heard of Trash Talk's. I've been able to watch this band grow from their first shows and go through countless lineup changes, and I'm still impressed each time I hear it. Having just signed to the renowned Malfunction Records and multiple US tours planned for the upcoming year, you won't have trouble seeing Trash Talk wreck your town sometime soon. Keep an eye out for them at the Sound and Fury Festival this summer; you won't be disappointed.
