Review: Retox - Beneath California
By Sammi Nelson, Blogs Editor
[Epitaph; 2015]
Rating: 6/10
Key Tracks: "Let's Not Keep In Touch," "Die In Your Own Cathedral"
With the release of its third album Beneath California, Californian band Retox hones in on its hardcore punk sound as well as clever song title abilities. From the beginning, the band refuses to stray from its punk roots. Retox performs its songs fast and brutal, making sure the message is kept short, sweet and to the point. Retox continuously fuses built-up fury into its punk sound, and Beneath California is no exception to that technique.
One can immediately hear the venom when listening to Retox’s first single from the album, “Let’s Not Keep In Touch.” The song is practically seething with its ferocious guitar riffs and vocalist Justin Pearson’s growls. A music video for “Let’s Not Keep In Touch” was released back in January; it portrays the song’s anger fairly accurately, considering that it features someone chasing another person down the street while swinging a bat.
Beneath California opens with “Die In Your Own Cathedral,” an introductory song that sets the mood for the rest of the album. In this short track, Retox reveals an image of a dry, repetitive routine that often accompanies adulthood, while also combining it with the image of sickness and self-destructive lifestyles. “Throw up / Clean up / Put on makeup / Now you think that you’re all grown-up.”
“Disappointing Grade” is the album’s second single and also probably one of the danciest tracks. The song has tremendous amounts of energy and has the potential to surge listeners into a dancing, moshing mess. Other tracks that have a similar effect are “This Should Hurt A Little Bit” and “Without Money, We’d All Be Rich.”
The album ends on a strong note with “Strong Wrong Opinion,” featuring some hard rock influences, Pearson’s angry chanting and riffs that are worth a good headbang. It’s also a great song to listen to whenever one may need to redirect their anger from an ignorant acquaintance.
Unfortunately, there are a few downsides to Beneath California. Many of the songs start to blend together into an angry mess of screeching vocals and guitars that, while great to mosh to, lack quite a bit of content. Many of the tracks, such as “We Know Who’s The Prick” and “You’re Only A Crook If You Get Caught” have a habit of sounding like extensions to the tracks listed right before them on the album.
Despite some of the quality setbacks, Retox’s Beneath California is definitely an album that punk enthusiasts need to check out. Its high energy, clever track titles and bloodthirsty sound are bound to give some listeners the chills.
