Label: Cooking Vinyl

Verdict: An adrenaline soaked blast of hardcore that is as entertaining as it is derivative and juvenile. 7/10.

Over the last couple of years, a number of punk rock outfits have attempted to resurrect the sights and sounds of the 1980s hardcore scene. 

Artists like OFF! and Ceremony in particular have been at the forefront of this movement, simultaneously paying tribute to and reviving a sound previously doomed to the annuals of antiquity.

Brooklyn based Cerebral Ballzy are another such band, and with the release of their new self-titled debut, the group have been getting a fair bit of hype across all forms of social media. Juvenile and derivative to the core, Cerebral Ballzy aren’t trying to artistically reinvent the wheel or start a social revolution, they just want to get drunk and have some fun.

While numerous commentators have made comparisons between Cerebral Ballzy and hardcore pioneers Bad Brains, such evaluations are largely over simplistic and lazy. Simply because both bands feature a number of black musicians and play punk rock, doesn’t necessarily mean they are the same.

Far from the political, social and religious themes expressed by Bad Brains, Cerebral Ballzy are far more interested in the simpler things in life, like underage drinking and throwing up.

Indeed, a much better comparison would be the Southern Californian Nardcore movement of the early 1980s. With their ridiculous band name and similar affinity for skateboarding, Cerebral Ballzy’s self-titled record would not look entirely out of place sitting on the shelf next to RKL’s It’s A Beautiful Feeling 7-inch or Stalag 13’s In Control.

Given that Cerebral Ballzy have managed to squeeze twelve tunes into the space of twenty minutes on this disc, most listeners should know what to expect before they even hit the play button on their stereo. Hyper speeds, crunchy power chords and indecipherable vocals abound throughout the record’s playtime, with the group often getting by on pure adrenaline alone.

While this is definitely a record best listened to from start to finish on repeat, several songs stand out from the pack as particularly good. “Don’t Tell Me What To Do” is possibly the best overall representation of the group’s sound as well as the most blitzkrieg-like track on offer, while “On The Run” is almost an epic for the band with its two minute playtime.

However, it is frontman Honor Titus who really takes top honour on this record. Lyrically he might be a wee bit on the juvenile side, but his vocal delivery is simply stunning; sounding like a crazed three year old, it is easy to hear why he has got a reputation for accidently making himself sick on stage.

At the end of the day, there is nothing deep or meaningful about Cerebral Ballzy, and those looking for harsh social critique in the vein of The Dead Kennedys or the paranoid personal inflections of Black Flag are going to be left severely wanting. 

However, for those who want nothing more than a shot of pure adolescent adrenalin, Cerebral Ballzy’s self-titled album is sure to fit the bill perfectly.

_{"Don't tell me what to do" from the debut album.}