JiggyJay's Full Review: 24 Hour Roadside Resistance by Against All Authori...
This Guy Sucks. Don’t Read His Review. It’s Horrible! Go! Shew!
I am blown away by how good Against All Authority (and 24 Hour Roadside Resistance for that matter) is. I only bought the CD because I had an extra fifteen bucks and there weren’t any other bands that I liked on the shelf so I picked up this AAA CD as an afterthought but it so turns out that out of the three CDs I bought that day, it was the best. Against All Authority is a political band (as the name might suggest) and very fast. All of their lyrics and songs are full of political rants and protests of rage and they sound great. What do they sound like? You know the band Leftover Crack/Choking Victim? Against All Authority sounds like them…on crack. Okay, so AAA isn’t as hard as Leftover Crack, but they are pretty fast and hardcore—perfect qualities to make me happy. 24 Roadside Resistance is my first AAA album and hopefully not my last.
Here He Goes Again Rambling!
So, how are you? How are you doing? I’m doing fine. Listening to 24 Hour Roadside Resistance…drinking some Mountain Dew…writing this lil’ review…chilling. Well…uh…I lost my place. Oh, okay. I’VE GOT IT! I own a lot of CDs (if you don’t believe me, check out most of my reviews) and I haven’t even reviewed them all yet, but AAA is one of my only CDs that I own where virtually every single song is great to listen to. I love CDs like this and they don’t come around often, but when they do I just have to comment on it. 24 Roadside Resistance is the type of album that you listen to on a road trip, doing homework, playing sports, or even simply reading. It’s the perfect music to listen to anywhere (even though I mostly listen to it in the bathroom with a nice Bette Midler album playing also…so calming) and that what makes the music so good. Plus, the music just flows naturally and the adrenaline that comes through the speakers doesn’t stop until the disc stops spinning. That’s how good this record is.
The Village Idiot…Talks
AAA went through a major controversy fairly recently with the insurance company, AAA, which shares the same name so now I guess the band has to only use “Against All Authority” now because of the bastards at AAA. This makes me so angry that I want to switch to Geiko or something because that’s ridiculous to make a band not use their initials in music. Grr…okay, the next controversy they went through was with the fans and it happened during this record. A lot of AAA’s fans were mad because there was barely any horn usage, which made 24 Hour Roadside Resistance the release with the least Ska influence and to tell you the truth, I was sort of disappointed. Only one song comes to mind that has Trumpet and Sax usage and they had minimal instrumentation. That sort of sucks, but doesn’t drag the overall taste of the album down at all (since it’s so good! Duh!)
Oh, Jeez…He’s Going To Talk About Lyrics Again…(Crap)!
I remember when I was a wee lad in 2000 when I first joined the site. Once I saw the “Income Share” thing in the Explain-It-All, I would rate people’s reviews without even reading it (like most of my fellow reviews still do…you couldn’t have read my three page review ten seconds after I just posted it…I know who you guys are!) and I don’t care when you do it with all of my other reviews (because I still get paid in the end, buddies…hee hee…I feel so special), but now it’s listening time because I have something important to tell you: the lyrics in 24 Hour Roadside Resistance are some of the punkest lyrics I have ever read. Against All Authority covers all the bases in this release talking about police officers (or authority of every kind), twisted government officials, the Dinka clan (which I’ll tell you about later), chemical waste, and even protesting (a la 24 Hour Roadside Resistance).
The lyrics are catchy; yet hold the message the whole song instead of fade away as the song goes on (cough, cough, Bad Religion, cough, cough). One of the corniest things about the CD though is after the last song plays. A woman talks about Strontium 90 (which is talked about in the last song, mind you) and says a lot of interesting facts about it and it’s really intriguing to hear, but abruptly ends with her advertising a phone number to call if you want to donate baby teeth to the “Tooth Fairy Organization” (which is a decent organization by the way). It just shouldn’t have ended like that. She should have said the facts and gave a website to look up more information. Bad idea, AAA.
Oh, Crap. This Guy’s Gonna Babble On About…Oh, No!
The booklet is all in all pretty sweet and nicely done showcasing the lyrics and rad photos (although one hard to look at of the Dinka tribe), but where it falls short is the font that the band used to post their lyrics in and the grainy, black, white, and gray pages (which is sort of gloomy, but that’s what the band wanted so who cares?). The font is reflective and silver so you have to shine it in the light in order to see it and that’s completely unacceptable for me since I read my lyrics in the basement (where I live) where there’s minimal light from my lamps and a little box of a window. I see the approach of darkness that they used, but it was just inappropriate next to the rest of the booklet.
The cover is one of the coolest I’ve ever seen (and the one that I wanted to put on my bio page, but ended up with a bada$$ picture of Fat Mike from NOFX). It is black and white and shows grimy looking cops with weapons and a page of their most-wanted: money, dough, cash, the green stuff. On the back cover is where things get interesting though. It goes crosses sticking out of the Earth (obvious graves) right next to a highway with cars going by with huge letters under and above the picture “Resistance Is Never Futile, Refuse To Become Roadkill”(which is also the name of my review!).
Is This Dude Ever Going To Stop? 210 Reviews Is Enough. He Should Retire. What A Bastard.
Danny Lore—Vocals/Bass
Joe Koontz—Guitar/Backing Vocals
Spikey Goldbach—Drums
Jeremy Kaiser—Trumpet
Tim Coats—Sax
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Danny Lore
Dan’s voice sounds so much like Leftover Crack’s Stza (AKA Osama Bin Laden as he calls himself…*cough*…they’re an Anti-American band) that it’s incredible. They both have raspy, fast-paced drones of voices that are quick and loud and full (and I mean to the rim) of aggressive, violent, anger. His voice is just perfect for punk rock and even better being backed up by Joe Koontz. Danny also plays bass and has sort of a…nack for it (in the title track, he hints that he always breaks strings and that it’s always out of tune, which it doesn’t sound like). His maniacal bass playing certainly a good part of each AAA song and has a lot of good solo riffs in 24 Hour Roadside Resistance. I think that Danny’s going to go places.
Joe Koontz
Joseph does one of the best jobs doing back up vocals for Danny and is one of my favorite back up vocalists mainly because he has the same time of indignant tone in his voice as Daniel and because he voices in the perfect places and never has too much time because most of his time is spent on fast, surprisingly bashful guitar lines. He’s great in his line of work. In some songs he does heavy, major guitar notes, but in other Ska-oriented songs, he strums it soft and the crisp. He’s the master of his domain along with…
Golden Spike (As I Call Him)
Goldie. I always nickname band members of my favorite bands, and I think Golden Spike is a great drummer. Even though he isn’t the best, he isn’t too shabby at fooling around at the ol’ set either. His drum pieces are well performed, but in some songs lacks the sense of originality and energy and drags the song into the deep end more than it keeps a song afloat, but nevertheless, his drumming technique is very good and curiously reminiscent of Propagandhi’s drummer (which is a damn good thing). He’s a great drummer just by the way that he crashes the cymbals and the way that he sets the pace for each song. I can’t identify exactly what I like about him, but I guarantee that you will love his work (and drum rolls) by the first AAA song that you hear.
Cover The Songs! That’s What The People Like To Hear About!
24 Hour Road Resistance
This is a wonderful opening to the album, but is a little too short for my tastes. The fast guitar lines strung with bass gallops make for an interesting test of nerves and an awesome repeating melody throughout the song. The lyrics are generous and give you an idea of what the rest of the album is going to be like and sets the momentum for the songs following after. 24 Hour Roadside Resistance is a solid opener and title track for the icy record.
Dinkas When I Close My Eyes
Dinkas When I Close My Eyes is my favorite song of the whole record because of the importance of the lyrics that you should really read when you get your hands on a copy of the album. The song is about how the government in Africa takes the Dinka tribe as slaves and sells them off for work or (the women) the sex trade. It’s a sad song with a sad photo, but it’s a politically aggressive piece of artwork and the instruments are in the purest unison I’ve ever heard and you can tell by the way Danny’s voice is wrecked that he’s angry.
Pestilent Existence
This one’s truly a heart stopper with it’s ingenious lyric usage and excellent low-key messages hidden throughout the song. The drums are very crazy and corkscrews all over the drum unit with amazing pace and thunderous snare and cymbal pounds. The bass and guitar bickering is also a nice touch to the song, but I think that more back up vocals could have been used around the finer edges of the song along with screams and yells, but that’s just an old-school punk rocker talking. Overall, the song is really memorable and one of the best of the CD.
Committing The Truth
Committing The Truth is one of the first songs with the perfect title. The chorus is one of the best of the CD and catchy as soon as you hear it, but still keeps it’s intricately detailed hardcore sound. The guitar chords just chop through the song with the bass guitar doing a weed-whacker of a good job finishing up while the drums filled in. I believe the drums could have used some work especially during some of the bridges of the song, but most of the roots are planted deep and really inhabit inside your head with incredible beats. So, the song offers cool chords, riffs, and base stomps. What more could you ask for in a punk rock song?
Nothing To Lose
The fifth track is one of the really fast paced songs of the record and has one of the greatest choruses in the song that really sounds like a cross between a snobby Sex Pistols song and a cutting-edge Pennywise tune and when mixed together, this song pops out and stuns me with its complexity and greatness. The horn usage (that sounds oddly familiar) makes a good touch and will captivate you many Ska fans out there with catchy notes (all of the three seconds they are in the song!). The back up vocals during the chorus is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard and I always have to mimic it (to the remorse of my friends).
I Think You Think Too Much
I Think You Think Too Much has definitely the best lyrics of the record and just propagate the way people think. The catchy, simplicity of it all is just stunning and the drums are some of the best Golden Spike has to offer with heavy side-drum hand movements and heavy cymbal flogs. The chorus could have used some work (to not be so annoying), but has a nice semi-humorous tone to it all. Joe’s back ups get a little annoying in the song with his snotty screams, but eases over towards the end of the track. The bass also could have used a tune up because it made sort of a weird noise at one point of the song.
The Next Song
Against All Authority took my band’s idea. We were going to have a song called “The Next Song” (because we couldn’t figure out what to call a song that we wrote), but AAA beat us to it and did a damn good job of stealing the show. The song is slower in most parts, but really gains energy as each second slowly passes by and ends up being probably my favorite song on AAA’s release. The chorus is one that urinates on my brain with the smell being stuck there for the longest time meaning that when the chorus invades your head, it never pops out. The lyrics are sort of awkward, but they work well for the song along with the adequate around-the-world drum rolls and echoing guitar riff distortion (at some points in the song). The bass has a mischievous sound, which gives the feeling that Danny’s trying to be sneaky and it sounds hella good. The nice trumpet and sax hold my attention towards the end, but aren’t exactly in it too much, which disappointed me, but the song is still really good.
Ugly Desires
Ugly Desires is one of the coolest and most original song I’ve ever heard. The mocking chorus of “I want to feel like that! I want to look like her! I want to follow the leader and become part of the heard!” give you the feeling that Dan’s talking about how people have low self esteem and/or we follow all of the trendsetters, but nonetheless, this awesome short song is really awesome and fast as crap along with Dan’s sort of clogging voice. The chorus is quick to love, the guitar chords are rumbling, the bass strings are being rapidly strummed, the drums have an upbeat of an earthquake sound, so what more could you ask for? A sax and a trumpet? Too bad.
Killing The Truth
The Californian-style of riff that is used in this song is so cleverly used that it’s ear candy and phenomenal to hear along with the bass lines that are just as good, but the drums take a halt with uninspired notes (but still sound good and fit the song well). The lyrics are the best part of the song and really political (with my favorite line being “Fuxk The First Amendment Act!”. That line was added so well and it’s screamed so savagely that it will paralyze you with happiness and adrenaline to go out and do something violent. The last little instrumental of the song is short and sweet and sounds so spectacular that you have to hear it for yourself to believe it. Killing The Truth is political and that’s all I need. I love the song and so will you as soon as you hear it.
Policeman
Policeman was the first song that I heard off the CD and it remains my favorite. The overall message of the song is not to trust cops, why AAA doesn’t like them, and how the police officers take advantage of their badge. The song is bad a$$ and fast and angry and so well choreographed that it’s amazing this isn’t a classic. Although the chorus is sort of flat (Dan and Joe yelling “Policeman” over and over again), it’s still hardcore and pretty ferocious along with the squeaky guitar notes and rushing bass lines. If you like fast-paced, anti-police officer songs with the lead singer blazing his voice away at the microphone, skip to this track and listen to it because of all the police officer songs that are floating around, Policeman by Against All Authority is truly one of the best ones out there.
I’m Weak Inside
This is another one of my favorite songs. Why? Do I need a reason? I’m Weak Inside sounds so much like a particular Leftover Crack song that I know (from Dan’s vocals), that it’s creepy. His semi-violent lyrics (“so many bombs left unblown”) and awesome political theme glaze is enough to make any punk fan cream their pants. Danny’s vocals sound satanic and a mix between a buzz and a crack of lightning and sounds phenomenal and makes the song one of the best I’ve ever heard. The chorus is sort of “whisper, whisper” and slows down the song for a bit, but erupts with power in the end. This song isn’t weak at all; in fact, it’s the one of the strongest tracks that I really relate to in a way.
Stuck In A Rut
No, the band isn’t talking about a wedgie; in fact, they are talking about how the government is stuck in a rut meaning the government sucks. The song starts out slow with a medium powered melody, but explodes with political aggressiveness. Stuck In A Rut is a total political song and holds a positive message (“Fuxk The American Way”) and is one of their coolest songs they’ve ever done with cool guitar riff, which are full of choking angst, but the bass is so-so and follows the guitar’s lead, while the drums are just remaining awesome and calm but explode with vengeance after a while and really ends the song with meaning. The chorus is good, but easily could have been better (the repetitive “stuck in a rut!” yelled over and over gets old, boys). The track is still really good though and a must for hardcore punk rockers.
The Excuse
The Excuse is like music to my ears…er…okay, let’s start over: this song is totally awesome and keeps it’s calm (off the hook, fast-paced punk rock). The chorus of “fuxk the deadlines” are pretty cool to hear and surprisingly aren’t as repetitive as the last couple. The really heavily screamed chorus is only a piece out of the whole pie and is chock full of political meaning of how our crooked government lies to us. Joe’s back up vocals do a good job and are as equal as Daniel’s (which is a nice addition). The bass and guitar weave together to make a solid unit of sound and unite to make one of the coolest endings to a song I’ve ever heard with the last lyric saying “fuxk you”. Isn’t that nice?
The Source of Strontium 90
You know what? I’m not going to review The Source Of Strontium 90 because I want you to hear it’s greatness yourself without my consideration of how good it is, but I just want to tell you that it’s a great closing song and one of my favorites by the band, so check it out along with the rest of the songs I’ve listed and opened for you.
zzzzzzzz…*pop*…WHAT? Huh? Oh, Finally! Jay’s Review Is Finally Over. It Was So Boring. Whew!
I tried to ignore him this whole review, but he’s gone too far this time! WHY DO YOU FOLLOW ME CHESTER? LEAVE ME ALONE AND STOP SENDING NUDE PHOTOS OF BLINK-182! FOR THE LAST TIME, I DON’T KNOW WHAT A PUNK MALE ORGAN LOOKS LIKE (besides my own of course) SO LEAVE ME ALONE!!!! Plus, Blink-182 isn’t punk rock. I’m sorry you had to see that folks. If you don’t know, Chester is my imaginary enemy that follows me into certain reviews that I write (which ended for a bit, but is now back by popular demand). Okay, whew. (Regain composure, Jay…)
Okay, well you just read my review of Against All Authority’s 24 Roadside Resistance and I hope you liked it. It offers the best of the punk genre and is some of the best fast-paced, political punk rock I’ve heard in a while so if you love the genre and love bands like Propagandhi, Leftover Crack/Choking Victim, and Anti-Flag, you will definitely enjoy this Against All Authority effort and although I’ve only heard one AAA album, this one’s certainly my favorite of the bunch and hopefully when you hear it, you will love it equally (or perhaps more) than I do.
Jason
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TRACK LISTINGS:
1. 24 Hour Roadside Resistance [5/5]
2. Dinkas When I Close My Eyes [5/5]
3. Pestilent Existence [5/5]
4. Committing The Truth [5/5]
5. Nothing To Lose [5/5]
6. I Think You Think Too Much [5/5]
7. The Next Song [5/5]
8. Ugly Desires [5/5]
9. Killing The Truth [5/5]
10. Policeman [5/5]
11. I’m Weak Inside [5/5]
12. Stuck In A Rut [5/5]
13. The Excuse [5/5]
14. The Source of Strontium 90 [5/5]
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