CD/LP | Monster Zero | 12 Songs - 36:05 minutes | www.facebook.com/zatopeks
Uh, this is a tough one... You know... I always liked the ZATOPEKS. And I really loved all their live-shows! Monobrow-Poppunk to the max!!! Now I have their album here and ... I dunno... It's actually a good album. But maybe my expectations were too high?!? I think that kinda describes my situation with the new ZATOPEKS album. It's still the ZATOPEKS, they still have good songs. But there are no real "hits" on this platter... Nothing that really sticks to my ear...
Maybe it's just a "coming of age" thing... Personally I can say that I just grew out of this Poppunk-sound a little bit. Years ago I was really a freak for this music, when we were still with that ratpack that was travelling around with our friends of the BACKWOOD CREATURES, FAVORATS and BATTLEDYKES. But times changed, bands split up, and it's just natural that you listen to some other music today as you did 10 or 15 years ago.
But I always had and still have my Poppunk-favorites and the ZATOPEKS always were on of them. So what to do now? Being disappointed about an album that is "just good" (still better than 80% of everything that calls itself Poppunk today) but not the über-hit I expected? Or just wait for the next show: Drinking beer and pogo-dancing all nite long with the ZATOPEKS on stage!
I think I choose the latter ... And everything will be fine again... ;)
And for sure: With a little time you get more into this album! Coz an important thing about the ZATOPEKS is of course the lyrical content that gave me a lot of cheerful moments. If you think Poppunk is music for dummies just read the lyric-sheets of the ZATOPEKS! Great work! They even work with footnotes and references to famous dead poets. Hats off! And the coverart by Stefan Stardumb is also great, of course!
Bottom line: If you're into Poppunk you should definitely check out this album. Maybe it's not their best but still a good one! I also played it to my Poppunk-addicted wife (cuz she might be a better judge for this music than me) and she voted 7 out of 10 points on our inofficial Three-chord-scale. That ain't bad, huh?!?
