Axis of Evil!
Let 'Em Drop!

I was given this CD by Zach, the lead singer of Axis of Evil!, under the condition that I would review it. Honestly, I wish I had paid the $5 for this CD, because I feel like I’m robbing them of merchandise that would make some lucky kid a fan for life. Axis of Evil! has been a major force in the CT Ska scene for quite some time now, despite the fact that their EP, Let ‘Em Drop, was not released until this month. With an explosive live show, brilliant musicianship, and catchy melodies, Axis of Evil! is one of my top 3 favorites in the entirety of the northeast. This multi-faceted EP only solidified my opinion.

The CD kicks off with the high-energy track “B.L.S.” After a chaotic drum roll and horn intro, the horn line pulls you in and demands you start moving your feet. The horn blend of a trumpet, alto sax, bari sax, and trombone is perfect for Axis’ high-paced and articulate melodies, and jumps out of the mix to grab your attention. The verses are lyrically driven with horn accents to fill in the little gaps between Zach’s melodies. Usually, the entire band is going nuts on stage, especially the rhythm section and Zach, who seems less energetic recorded. However, he does replace this energy with a tonal accuracy to be commended. The choruses are a half-tempo and jumpable with perfect distortion in the guitar. Sometimes, ska guitarists don’t really have the low end to the distortion that I like to hear, but Matt nails it. The horn lines and lyrics really blend this energy to solidify the section lead you right back into that horn hook. It’s been stuck in my head for days. There’s even a horn breakdown that features the alto sax and trumpet. It’s very well played, and even harmonized perfectly, which is hard for two instruments of such high pitch. The end of the track features the half tempo chorus, which really fades out well. The second track, “Four Car Garage Band,” starts with a drum and guitar feature that doesn’t really feel typically Axis, but after the vocals join in, you know this track is going somewhere. With another high energy horn line, driven by impeccably consistent drum parts and slap bass, this song gets your feet moving all over again. The choruses go half-tempo again, but it has a completely different vibe than the first song, and clever lyrics on top of it. The bridge goes pop punk, adding yet another style to Axis’ repertoire of tempos. There’s a drum roll with ska chords after this, which has a little bit of inconsistency to it, but it leads really well into the horn melody, now harmonized. This is also the first spot on the CD where we hear some solos from the horn players. Both the sax and trumpet licks played are skilled but not overdone, which really fits Axis’ style. The conclusion of the song is double time with some high notes by Zach that are absolutely nailed.

The third track, “Skankin’ Richard,” is horribly catchy for one reason: you hear the same melody over ten times in the song’s mere 2:35. The first time I heard this song, I laughed my ass off. I know Rich pretty well – he’s from the town next to mine, and I’ve had the privilege of sharing car rides and dance floors with him on numerous occasions. This song describes Rich perfectly. “Skankin’ Richard doesn’t really give a shit that he’s the oldest guy at the show, because he’ll be skankin’ ‘till his dyin’ day you know.” Perfect. The choruses are catchy and the verses are well thought out. There’s even a sing-a-long part at the end that works out perfectly live. There’s no better way to give back to the CT scene than to write a song about one of its most well known members. Now, where’s “CT Ska Garty”? The fourth track, “Gripping My Gun,” is a two-tone styled song that really puts emphasis on each individual horn in turn. It’s the easiest Axis song to dance all the way through, and definitely one that leaves you smiling. The intro has an awesome trumpet solo that really builds the track for the entire section’s melody to come. The verses are quiet and vocal, which really highlights the rhythm section, especially the bassist, Jeff. The choruses have an awesome flowing horn part and a simplistic and predictable lyric that has the listener familiarized with the tune after the first chorus. There’s a breakdown that I’m not a huge fan of, mainly due to the drummer’s small kit and lots of time for drum features. However, they are all tight, and it never breaks down as it feeds into the main melody again. After another chorus comes an immense amount of solos, which are just trumpet and trombone trade-offs – which are very well performed. As a side note, the trombone player ends the song with the exact notes that Chris Rhodes did in Spring Heeled Jack’s “Mass Appeal Madness.” I should take a star away for this. Anyways, the last track on the disc is “Picket Fences.” Starting again with a clean guitar part and eventually accompanied by some bass slides and some lingering horn parts, this nebulous and slow intro is eventually displaced by some guitar upstrokes and eventually another driving and fast melody. This might be my least favorite song on the CD, but I still wouldn’t mind if it were stuck on repeat. Parts of the verses and the choruses are pretty slow and hard to feel in anything other than a head-nod, but it’s just another one of Axis’ styles incorporated into a ska overview. This song has another alto sax solo, but also the only bari sax solo on the disc. I really like this step out of a traditional role. I wish the bari had been mixed higher on the disc in general, but this feature lets you know he’s there. This song winds down with a really chaotic and repeated vocal part, slowing down to a real fall off – the exhaustion point of the CD.

Zach from Axis of Evil! told me that they didn’t spend much time mixing this down, and it’s a low-quality recording, but I wouldn’t attest to that. This release really frames Axis for anyone who hasn’t seen their live performance, and gives fans regular access to the songs they’re so used to bouncing along to live. If this EP were done any more professionally, it would be a major record label release. I love the songs, love the style, love the personality, and above all, love the attitude. Axis of Evil! is in it for the scene and for the music, and I really appreciate that. Axis is in CT constantly, and I’m sure I won’t have to convince you to pick up their latest release, Let ‘Em Drop. But, if it’s of any reassurance, I would recommend spending the five measly bucks and pick up one of the best EPs I’ve ever heard.

Reviewed By:  Todd Springer

Date:  Sat 2 Sep 06

Score:  10.0

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