Bored & Extremely Dangerous

    After their second album entitled “The Great Awake” (2007, Fat Wreck Chords) was met with some polarizing opinions, The Flatliners needed an album like “Cavalcade”. Although their second release had some incredibly powerful moments and catchy hooks, some were complaining about the band straying away from the abrasive ska-punk grime sound that dominated their first release “Destroy To Create” (2005, Union Label Group). Instead, their second effort focused less on the upstrokes and more on a newly crafted pounding melodic punk that was just asking for comparisons to the likes of The Lawrence Arms. While it was most certainly a memorable album, it felt more like a transitional record that didn’t quite have a pure completed sound to it. That transition ended with 2010’s “Cavalcade”.

    Okay enough of the summary; let’s get down to the actual reviewing here let’s do this (seriously). As The Flatliners’ “Cavalcade” kicks off we hear a clip from the hilarious British comedy sketch show “The Comic Strip”, babbling about some stuff with the “four horsemen of the rock apocalypse” (I secretly recite the lines every time). As the opening track, “The Calming Collection”, rips in there is an intensity I’ve never felt from this band before. It’s like the last record kicked up a couple notches with a roaring desperation that has been lacking from the punk rock scene as of late. This desperation can be heard all throughout the album in lead singer Chris Cresswell’s throat tearing vocals. Cresswell’s voice has evolved incredibly since the band’s 2005 debut, now having a healthy balance of that grimy scream we’ve all grown to love and his indescribable melodic howl which is both haunting and welcoming in a sincere way.

    Thematically, “Cavalcade” ranges from tunes about the recent recession (“Carry The Banner”), post-teenage cynicism/visiting your hometown (“Here Comes Treble”, my favorite track), alcoholism (“Liver Alone”), and erm filthy habits (“Filthy Habits”). There’s a feeling of unity through hopeless, and misery loving company painted all over this record. There’s this strange optimism in all of the despair. Of course I can’t speak for the band, but I see this as a record of moving on, coming to terms with the past, waking up to reality, realizing mortality, and  circling the wagons for whatever shit we’re about to get dumped on us from the past generations. But hey that’s just me.

    Honestly I could go through every single song on this record, but I’ll just say this is about as close as a band can get to a perfect punk rock album in my mind. The main criticism of “Cavalcade” has been that it’s been top heavy, dropping off after “Shithawks” into more B-side sounding songs. In some ways I guess I would agree, but take note that the first six songs are A+ material. B material is more like A- material on this album. Songs like “Filthy Habits”, the epic closer “New Years Resolutions”, and the catchy almost “Killers-like” single “Monumental” are in no shape or form “B material”, I can assure you that much. And I mean that “Killers” comparison in the best of ways, like if “The Killers” were cool, Canadian, and not douche bags.

    With mind numbingly speedy drum work from the ever mellow Paul Rodriquez, guest appearances by Paddy from Dillinger Four, Nuno from A Wilhelm Scream, the Cancer Bats, and screaming gang vocals from those two bearded guys…Jon Darbey and Scott Brigham, “Cavalcade” is an ensemble of Bad Religion aggression with reflective lyrical work from Cresswell that so many of us could relate to while wars continue and deficits only sink lower. In a stagnating punk scene that sometimes relies too heavily on nostalgia of the 90’s, it’s a breath of much needed fresh air to have some brutally honest twenty-somethings release something so ground breaking, something that sounds new for once. And I guess it looks like I have another reason to move to Canada. Health care,moose, and The Flatliners…

9.5/10