"I had heard some Bigwig songs before I got this CD. I had heard a few songs off this one, and some off of the other releases as well. Nothing, however, could've prepared me for this fast-paced, metal-influenced frenzy of an album.Listening to this relentless album is not only a treat, it's a joy. Each energetic member brings his own flare to the group. Matt Gray, the metal-loving drummer, no doubt brings his metal flare to this CD, as his non-stop, breakneck speed drumming only speeds the pace along throughout the album. Bassist Brent Hamer's quick pluck method works well with the frenetic pace. Josh Marsh definitely encapsulates all the abilities of a bona fide frontman, with his Metallica-style rhythm riffs and anthem-style vocals. The high point of the group, however, is lead guitarist Tom Petta. Also heavily influenced by metal, his soaring, speed picking solos and harmonizing is the focal point of the band. When he begins, the viewer is completely surrounded by his amazing talent. An Invitation To Tragedy is the only Bigwig CD I own, and I will no doubt buy their others. For fans of Pennywise and Much The Same (for those of you who know who Much The Same are), this album is a must."
The best CD ever
Tom | America | 05/03/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bigwig rules, they are the best band ever, and this is the best CD ever. It is the perfect blend of metal and punk. I'd give it more than five stars if i could."
Killer
Tom | 09/21/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"excellent stuff... all bigwig albums rock"
Crazy
Erica | Homewood, IL United States | 02/15/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I listen to CDs, there aren't many times when I can say I loved the CD after I listened to it for the first time. This CD I can. I got into the first song "Waste" and I couldn't stop listening to it. I wanted to play the song really loud on my CD player for everyone to hear. But I couldn't, because I was at work! So I waited until I got home and I blasted it. It's the best. It makes me happy when I'm sad and even if I'm happy I'll get even more happier by listening to this CD. The song "Alone in New Jersey" is possibly the best on the cd, in my opinion. It just tells how much Tom loves N.J. And I can believe it. It speaks to me, about how much people love a town, a state, hell! a country.
So if you really want to buy an album that is incredibly great and you can totally get into, this is the CD. No lie."
Invitation to Energetic Punk
John Beran | Lancaster, CA USA | 12/14/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Invitation to Tragedy is a little over thirty minutes of non-stop, fast-paced, and energetic punk. Most of the lyrics are about something many people can relate to and could be easily sung along to. Even if you can't relate, there are at least one or two hooks in each song that are hard to resist humming in unison to. The instrumentals are simply amazing. Aside from the sheer speed, there are numerous artistic solos throughout the CD. The only negative of this album is that there are too many slow songs, like "Moosh" and "Hope," for my tastes. I enjoy listening to them, but would easily trade them for the hard-hitting sounds of "Waste" and "Sink or Swim.""