Skate punk might not be as big as it was in the 90s but fast paced, melodic and slightly tongue-in-cheek punk rock isn't dead. One example is the hugely fun Krang from Czech Republic, named after the pink brain-like alien from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While the artwork to Singalong does include said baddie, this new album has a more general 80s/90s' pop culture theme compared to it's predecessor Baddest Brain, with titles like IDDQD (a cheat code for the original DOOM game), Kick Ass or Chew Bubblegum (They Live quote) and I Ain't Got No Time To Bleed (Predator quote).
Like before, the tracks on here are pretty short, fast and bouncy with vibes akin to Satanic Surfers, Millencolin and even Sum 41's more melodic side only with slightly more..er..European sounding vocals. Although I've heard stronger accents on records before, you can't help but notice it, especially when mixed with the odd grammatical error. This isn't an entirely bad thing, though - at least they're not pretending and it makes them distinguishable.
Besides the movie quotes and retro references, the odd song tackles slightly more relatable subjects. King of a Dancefloor, for instance, is an anthem against violent dancing at punk and hardcore shows. Personally, I don't think hardcore dancing is something to be complaining about so strongly but it's clearly an important enough problem for the band...and I respect them wanting to get that message across. Ironically, the song is pretty kick-ass and might make you want to break things!
Other songs of importance include the short and anthemic No Fun In Fundamentatlism (where the Sum 41 vibes are most prominent), the fun and catchy Indian Jones Hates Nazis and Snakes and the band's impressive twist on The Beatles' classic Help! which still keeps the song's original essence while also being faster, harder and generally...more punk!
I had the privilege to see Krang live in Tel Aviv last year. I meant to write about it but..yeh..never got around to it.. Anyway, as fun as they are on record, they are definitely a band to be experienced live for all their energy and on stage antics. Singalong in particular is just missing a little bit of that magic but is still an album worth checking out, especially if you're not into most modern day "pop punk".
3.5/5
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