A new Bay Area supergroup, Brigata Vendetta consists of Derrel Wojick (bass and vocals) and Mike Caputo (guitar), who help make Harrington Saints so great, with drummer Brian Zobel, who made his mark in the often overlooked Bum City Saints. Together, the trio pen a modern version of classic hardcore punk, the kind that tips its hat to names like Poison Idea, Off! and Negative Approach.

“Get The Spirit” gets the listen off to a frenzied start, where the hard-hitting drums and searing guitar are met with shouted yet tuneful singing and a rowdy solo, too. “Lose Again” follows and is packed with charged riffs and animated bass lines that suit the gang vocals, and this leads into the gruff yet melodic “Embrace.”

The mood is a bit calmer with the barking “’87 Again,” though the blistering “Stuck There” goes right back into the pummeling climate that benefits much from the dense bass. “Nothing Left,” the best track—not that there’s a dud present—then balances power and melody with a meticulous rhythm section that emits an indelible impression.

Landing near the end, the harmonic guitar work of “Never Let You Die” makes the most of the 62-second rager, and the thick, bouncy “Into The Ground” is ideal for both the dance floor and the pit with its energetic presence. “Greenies,” the last tune, doesn’t last even a minute, but is quite memorable thanks to the pounding drums, fluid guitars and shouted singing.

There isn’t a song here that lasts more than two minutes, nor is there one that doesn’t embrace all the hallmarks of timeless punk that some of us will never tire of. Somehow, there’s still copies of this left despite just 600 LPs pressed. If you are reading this and ’80s HC occupies much of your collection, well, you know what to do.

Rating: A-

User Rating: Not Yet Rated

Comments