MuchMusic.com

SOUNDCHECK: THE TRANSPLANTS

11.01.02

Get this. Your name�s Tim Armstrong, you�ve been at the forefront of the Punk music scene for over a decade, and you�ve been screwing around with the ol� pro tools kit in your basement, creating something that doesn�t sound like anything you�ve done before. Your buddy Rob can spit out lyrics like his throat�s on fire, and the flow of words is the only thing that can put out the flames. He wants in. So you get together and bust out a bunch of tracks that you�re happy with, but feel like there�s still something missing. You call up this guy Travis, the best drummer you know, who just happens to play for Blink 182. Count him in too.

So what do you end up with? Twelve bleeding punk rock tracks, categorized as such not because of their resemblance to other music of the genre, but because they are the sound of musicians doing what they want and not giving a lick what anyone thinks (and yes, that is what it�s all about).

From the party anthem �Tall Cans In The Air� to the Hip Hop track D.R.E.A.M (which sounds like the D.R.E. in the title stands for Dre), this disc has got more guest appearances than a Puff Daddy joint. From Rancid members Matt Freeman and Lars Frederiksen, Distillers frontwoman/Tim's wife Brody Armstrong, Nerve Agents' Eric Ozenne to Funkdoobiest funkster Son Doobie, it seems like everyone was invited to the party.

My favourite track is the screecher �Quick Death,' which features AFI frontman Davey Havoc slaying alongside vocalist Rob Aston (who incidentally used to be AFI�s merch guy..oh how times have changed). I love how the 12 songs on the album range from Dancehall to Dub with a punk rock core, but I would have liked to hear a little more variety in the drum beats. Perhaps in the reported 5 hours that it took to record the drums, Travis didn't feel like messing around too much. Don�t expect to see this trio live anytime soon. Travis is currently on the road with Boxcar Racer, Tim�s in the studio working on the next Rancid album and Rob...well, we�re assuming he�s just keepin� it real.

~ Kelly Shouldice, Team Digital

This disc rocked so hard, I'm giving it a rating of four out of 5 rock hands.


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