Four years in the making, "Call of Death" is the third release from Criminal Damage, a Portland punk rock outfit featuring Paul Burdette of Tragedy on Guitar and Vocals. Formed in 2005, Criminal Damage plays late 70s / Early 80s UK style punk with a prominent Oi! influence in the vein of bands like Blitz, Sham 69, and The Business. For those unfamiliar with Criminal Damage's first two records, they are certainly worth picking up. The band's self titled LP, for example, is one of my favorite releases on the Feral Ward label and Criminal Damage's use of melodies and harmonies nicely compliment their approach to punk. While not the band's strongest material, "Call of Death" contains some interesting and well written songs, particularly "The Storm" with its infectious bass line and "Call of Death" with its signature dark melody that accents the album's lyrics of alienation, depression, and displacement. Although many of the songs are memorable and fun listens, the album's production doesn't separate the elements enough making them run into each other and stumble over one another. Generally speaking, the awkwardness of the production distracts the listener from appreciating some of the qualities of the album, particularly Burdette's vocals which don't quite make themselves known in the mix. On tracks where the vocals are pronounced, the drums appear distant and at times missing from the sound of the record, particularly on "Hopeless" which, although a strong and solid song, lacks the kind of backbone that a well recorded drum track can offer. This lack of consistency in the recording of the album prevents this album from being a celebrated effort despite its obvious strong points. Regardless of this, "Call of Death" is sure to please fans of this style of punk and many of the riffs on the record are quite infectious, particularly that of "Laid to Waste" which is a loose and energetic track that stands out quite nicely. What I find most appealing about Criminal Damage is how free and easy the songs appear to be executed, a trait that I find enjoyable in most bands that play this particular style of punk rock that focuses primarily on simple, one to three chord riffs that are meant to be memorable more than impressive."Anxiety" is also a powerful track on the album and its anthemic chorus brings to mind what I fell in love with classic punk in the first place. Despite not being the most innovative record to come out in recent memory, "Call of Death" has enough spirit and hooks to make this a part of any punk's record collection.
7.5 / 10
- Joe