Search - Pennywise :: Live at the Key Club

More than a Minor Threat

Patrick Stott | Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand | 07/18/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Hello, we're Pennywise from Hermosa Beach, California!"Hey, where the hell are you going? Come back here, or I'm gonna catch ya, tie ya up and force ya to listen to this! This is one case where you can't judge a review by its cover.So Pennywise are from California, and they are popular with skate and surf kiddies, but if you're expecting watered down Offspring/Green Day type pop-punk, then you're out of luck. This is faster, more intelligent, and dare I say it, heavier ... If you want Good Charlotte or Blink 182, then go and listen to er... Good Charlotte or Blink 182. And Pennywise deliver live, something the pretend punks only wish they could.Unlike the modern day pretenders, Pennywise have one foot firmly in the early 80s, and are damned proud of the fact. Check the cover of "Minor Threat", where Jim lists the bands he grew up listening to. Some of their songs here, particularly older tracks like "Final Chapters" and "Unknown Road" sound like Bad Religion or The Descendents with a rocket ... The song "Pennywise" could almost have come from Suicidal Tendencies. There is an old school Hardcore edge to much of the band's material. Something else the casual observer might also miss is a hint of Thrash, particularly in the guitar playing. Don't believe me? Check out "Fight Til You Die" and "Perfect People" for yourself. It beats most of what Megadeth or Helloween produced in the 1980s.Even several years after his suicide, original bass player Jason is still an important figure for the band. If he wrote a song, they let everyone know. The set closer "Bro Hymn" is dedicated to his memory, and what a belter of a song to be remembered by. The distinctive bass riff and classic "whoa, whoa" shoutalong refrains get everyone going, for a raucous all-in finale.This is by no means a perfect live album. The odd track sounds a little flat, like there was not much atmosphere at the gig. The overly commercial "Alien" in particular sounds out of place. The crowd do not seem terribly enthusiastic at times, as if they are unfamiliar with the band's back catalogue. The playing is near on note perfect though, and is still definitely live, rather than doctored in the studio. For a summer time beer drinking party hard live album, you could do a lot worse than this."