Review #99: Bad Choice - Demo (EP) (2009)

BAD CHOICE DEMO (EP)

Year: 2009

Genre: Punk Rock
Sub-Genres: Hardcore
Label: None
Tracks: 5
Length: 6 Minutes (Very Short)
Style: Angry
My Rating: 6/8

Bad Choice is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario (Canada). The band formed around early 2009, and the line-up currently consists of MTM (vocals), Beav (guitar), Steve (other guitar), Rick (bass), and Curtis (drums). While the group has not yet released an 'official' album, they have this self-released demo out available for a free download, so if this music sounds interesting to you from the sound of the interview, then go ahead n' get it!

1. Bad Intro
Starts with just drumming, and then MTM begins barking out his vocals. He sounds kinda like the guy from Pissed Jeans but slightly harder to understand. Sorry, but it's not completely fitting for the instrumentals. Maybe that's the intention. Whatever. The song's got a pretty nice riff (the production sounds similar to the "Lexicon Devil" single by the Germs to give an accurate example), and it alternates between slow and fast.

2. Lash Out
This one's got a more consistent tempo. The riff is really cool and catchy! Probably the best song on this record. It's a minute long...

3. Dezerter
This one's a little slower. Once again, it's got a really neat guitar riff in both the verse and chorus. I just wish the singer could hold a syllable for just slightly longer -- his singing just sounds like he's going "uugh dughkt tgha uggha duggha dugk!" -- it just gets kind of boring. It would sound much cooler if he could hold a word for a little longer.

4. BDS
Alternates between fast n' slow. MTM sings during the slow parts, and the fast parts are dominated by a very exciting guitar riff. Only 46 seconds of punk fury!

5. Get Together
This is the longest song (two minutes). Begins with a slow intro, which is eventually dissipated by the speedy verse and chorus sections of the song. Whoever's writing these songs is really fucking talented, that's for sure! The riffs here really rev me up. Like all of the other songs. Well, that's the end.

Overall, I think Bad Choice is a band with a lot of potential. The songwriting is excellent, the riffs are in my opinion up there with early Black Flag as far as being rough-sounding and catchy and the same time. This music is of good quality. The production is great, too. My only gripe is the vocals. They just tend to sound a bit repetitive, and lack any real substance. Not very compelling. Maybe it's just the mixing. I just don't think it sounds very good with the rest of the band. But this band is still good -- none of this corporate-born cheeze that has infiltrated so much of the punk scene, no preachiness, no whining, just good, fun punk rock with balls. If Bad Choice makes the good choices (get it?), they could become one of the best bands for the years to come!

(P.S. -- that cover image I have up there isn't actually the official cover art. There is no official cover art. It's just a flyer that I edited. It looks pretty cool, though, doesn't it?)