Cleveland-based punk band The Vacancies are back with their?latest album, Tantrum.?This is their second?release on?Blackheart Records, and it picks up right where the band left off on?the last record, A Beat Missing or a Silence Added. What I always?loved about the band’s earlier releases was the that they were?truly inviting to the listener by being so raw and distinctly punk.?What makes the band’s music so accessible is that they write of?social issues from a common man’s point of view, the same issues?that?effect us all. This release is no different.
The band pulls no punches from the opening track onward and forges?ahead with?the punk rock spirit that started the genre years ago. The?Vacancies continue to grow as musicians on this release, taking steps?forward musically and sounding tighter than ever. This marks the?second time the band has worked with Blackheart Records and producer?Kenny Laguna, who have managed once again to capture the high energy?and streetwise sound of the band. The opening track, “Compound”,?starts the album off right, proving that the energy of the band is?still there and more ferocious than ever. This leads in to “Below Merlot,” which keeps up the pace and provides a beer-drinking,?street-punk anthem for the band’s?repertoire, which is something every good punk band needs! “Pride” and “Sick Modern Era”?are representative of the band’s social consciousness and well-crafted tunes that bring to mind some of punk’s early pioneers. Other standout tracks include “Funeral”?and?”Savior,” which are two of the most melodic songs on the record, showcasing the talent of these punks.
From start to finish the album is a gem. Tantrum is a breath of?fresh air from what is being force fed to kids today by the major?labels. No frills, nothing over produced, just raw energy with well-written hooks and lyrics. In short, it is Warped Tour tested and Joan?Jett approved. You don’t get much better than that.
