As you know by now Ghoti Hook is calling it quits pretty soon but they left us with a gem of what could have been. The 6 song EP released by Velvet Blue Music picks up where their last release, Two Years To Never, left off. If that sentence bothers you and were hoping for another Sumo, sorry, you're not going to be interested in this EP. This EP is in your face Rock and Roll with no gimmicks while staying fresh and keeping its own sound. This album is most in tune with songs like Mach 3 from Two Years to Never.
After 11 years of being a band, the remaining members of Ghoti Hook really can be proud of their performances caught on tape. Adam's drumming has never felt more solid. Jamie's bass playing is as tight as his live performance. Joel's guitar playing and especially voice are stronger than ever.
If you think this review is completely biased, there are some honest issues I had with the EP. The EP was recorded pretty quickly and only shows in the mix of a couple songs. I can tell which ones they took time on and which ones weren't as important. The songs for me are too short. They are the same length they've always been - like on TYTN and even Sumo and Banana Man - but I'd like the songs to be a little longer. Out of the six songs, only one of them feels like a filler song.
But it all comes down to songs. And these songs simply rock. The best way to describe it is 70's guitar rock with the intensity found in punk bands. All the beats are full on rock, and the singing is immensely strong and aggressive while keeping its melodic core. Maybe if you mush AC/DC, Social Distortion and The Cult into one band and cut their ages in half, you'd get something like Ghoti Hook's new EP - rock that will stand the test of time.
The five songs that I would say are the good ones are very good. 3 of them are straight up rock, one has a very spooky feel to it, and one (Let it Ride) is down right dirty (in a good way), down right dirty! The songs are very strong, sound great and totally rock.
This is your last chance to hear new songs from a band that gave you 11 years of their lives. It's worth the purchase and more.
A-
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by John WilsonPopular punk band Ghoti Hook has ended a nine-year run by releasing a 6-song self-titled EP that is not only their best album, but is one of the best full-on rock albums in the market. Ghoti Hook has matured into a straight-ahead "old-school," three-piece rock and roll band. The album seethes with energy, recalling a time when rock was played just for the fun of it. Expanding on influences from…Opus 2002Reviewed by Jeffrey EllingerDear Adam Neubauer, Joel Bell, and Jamie Tolosa -- I miss you guys. Technically we never met. But our connection goes deeper than the short, meaningless fan exchange in which the pathetic admirer clamors desperately for attention from a band for a paltry couple of seconds (thankfully, I have never participated in such a ghastly act) and asks queries like "Do you like stuff?" or even worse "How…Similar sounding releases
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