BANDS:

Punk & Ska
80's New Wave/
Post-Punk/
College Bands
90's & Beyond
Virginia, North
Carolina, & DC

The Mariettas: 12
[First Cold Press]

Hardly new, having been released back in 1999, The Mariettas 12 is at best a tuneful, fuzzed-out LA punk rock album that may have you thinking of X or Glen Danzig.  At its worst, its merely a foot-tapper.  Theres the occasional sex talk, but its all in good fun.  Besides, these guys seem too nice.

But whatever, theyve got a great song in Tide of Chaos, which just about validates the entire record with five and a half minutes of Manfred Hofer guitar bliss with all his screeching and wailing he practically makes it sing.  Sean OBrien sounds good here, too.  Too often he sounds like Mike Patton playing it straight (and flat).  On Crash, by and far his best vocal performance, he channels Jello Biafra to great effect, and you wish he did it more often.

Sexcon seems like the albums overt pop song, but its not as good as Pure Substance, which rips, to be sure.  The Wheel is the albums lone curve-ball, with drummer, Doyle Dean adding some wonderfully goofy high-pitched vocals to a passionate 70s rock send-up.  Are these guys still around?

The Mariettas Official Website

Check Amazon, Insound and CD Universe to purchase this album.

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