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by Tony Pascarella Published: May 30, 2005
Oh sure, their claim to fame in most people's minds is probably that it was the band that Travis Barker (he was known as The Baron Von Tito back then) quit to join Blink-182, but The Aquabats are so much more than a springboard. Starting as a massive ska satire band from California, they've evolved and endured numerous lineup changes in the process. 1996 saw the release of their first album, the ironically titled Return of the Aquabats. The following year, they released The Fury of the Aquabats. Their third album came in 1999, titled Aquabats Vs. the Floating Eye of Death. It's taken six years, but they're back with a new album, the simply-named Charge!!. They dress in superhero outfits and have spawned a cult-like following who dress similarly to the band members. Some might refer to The Aquabats as "nerd-core" since it seems like any word you put in front of the word "core" these days is a new genre, but they are definitely rooted in ska and punk rock. On the newest album, they've trimmed the horn section down to only a saxophonist and have revitalized their sound, pushing a little more into the punk category. The Aquabats Are: MC Bat Commander (Vocals) Chainsaw (Guitar) Crash McLarson (Bass) Jimmy The Robot (Keyboard, Saxophone) Ricky Fitness (Drums) A brief warning track leads into the poppy "Fashion Zombies," the first real song on Charge!!. MC Bat Commander's goofy vocals ride atop a wave of fun instrumentation. Make no mistake, The Aquabats have never been serious, and they don't plan to start now. As he rambles on about the zombies, you as a listener will begin to realize how cool this album really is. Not overly awe-inspiring in any one respect, at first glance one might give it just an average grade. As you begin to dig toward the gooey center of the album, you'll encounter a witty satirical track called "Stuck In A Movie." Ska lovers and pop should enjoy the bouncy beat made possible by Jimmy The Robot and Ricky Fitness. With not-so-obscure references to movie stereotypes, this song is full of goodies to discover as you fall in love with it. Heavily synthesized, "Tiger Rider Vs. The Time Sprinkler" is just weird. Transitioning from a heavily harmonized chorus to stuttering verses, this song has a little bit of everything to make you wonder what the hell they're thinking. Chainsaw lays down some nice riffs, and Ricky Fitness is an absolute beast on drums. Nearly borrowing the Super Mario theme for the lead-in to "Nerd Alert," it turns out to be a pretty fun song. After telling everyone to "get stupid on you're own time," The Aquabats tear into what could become a quintessential anthem for nerds everywhere. I can't say I love "Plastic Lips," but it's a peppy song in which the entire band rocks out as much as humanly possible, so they get credit for that. That whole "we don't give a crap what you think of us" vibe that the band gives off on Charge!! is especially prominent here. Using riffs reminiscent of The Who and other classic rock bands, "Look At Me I'm A Winner" is just that--a winner. If you're not a huge fan of MC Bat Commander's funny voices, he sings normally here, strutting his stuff on a sing-along chorus that you won't be able to escape. Ricky Fitness has a pretty good drumbeat going on, as he sets the pace for the rest of the band. Basically, my second favorite song on the album is followed by my favorite, "Hot Summer Nights (Won't Last Forever)." It's the twisted, disparaging tale of a guy who meets a girl at the beach, and she ditches him by telling him she's moving to Alaska. The hilarity that ensues in the song is just great. Humor aside, the song itself is brutally solid, with an abundance of sugar-filled, hook-laden instrumentation. "Meltdown" took some time to grow on me. At first I found it a little bit annoying (the vocals are in that funny voice again at times), but it's maniacally weird in a good way. The drumming steals the show again, with the vocals coming in a close second. "Mechanical Ape" is a vocal harmony-heavy song that shows just how much of an oddball band The Aquabats actually are. While singing about the "unbelievable mechanical ape" they manage to lay down a great punk guitar riff that shows the broad expanse of their talent. "Demolition Rickshaw" is ska meets shout-along punk rock. Chock-full of energy, this track is very good at convincing people how dynamic The Aquabats actually are. "Waterslides" is one of the only songs on Charge!! that I can't recommend. Sounding a little like Weezer, they just don't have much in the way of hooks to keep you entertained on this one. It's very synth-heavy, but you can't just pump your fist and sing along. I don't know if that means you'd call it a ballad, but it may be the closest you'll hear to a slow song on the album. Closing the album is "Awesome Forces," a techno-sounding song fused with excellent drumming. The theme of the song fits with the end of the album, and it has a little humor embedded in it. First things first--get your sorry ass up from looking up the dates for the next Star Wars convention. If you even remotely bristled at me referring to your ass as sorry, you should also get to a record store while you're up and purchase The Aquabats' Charge!!. Bring it home and don't be ashamed to rock out with five guys who wear superhero costumes. They're just nerds who can play instruments and sing. Quite impressively, I might add. 
Recommendation: Put down the nunchucks and pick up a copy of Charge!!. Genre: Ska/Punk/Nerd Rock Overall Grade: B+ (89%) If you are a publicist or associated with a band and would like either the author or any staff member to review your disc, please use the same method of contact, and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. |
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