Reviewed by Michael Durrant

The opening bars of this EP from an Indianapolis-based band immediately suggest it will be an extremely heavy rock album á la P.O.D. but it quickly becomes evident that this is much more in the softer 'cartoon punk' genre of Relient K or MxPx. All the seven tracks here are short but very well executed often at a ridiculously high rate of beats per minute with extremely impressive use of a double bass drum pedal behind frantic but effective guitar riffs. Overall this is a fun EP though the central message of 'Earn Your Stripes' seems in direct contradiction to the message of God's saving grace. There is also a feeling of antagonism and bitterness that is sad to hear in track four "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" which contains the lyric "Pack your bags, you're not playing in my band". Well produced, yes; musically proficient, yes; but clearly the band need to work on their lyrics.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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