Dillinger Four

The best manner in which to explain Dillinger Four, and their newest record, Situationist Comedy, is this: imagine deconstructing modern pop punk into its component parts. Start with the Ramones, add Minor Threat and mix in a healthy dose of Bad Religion - the end, with varying degrees of each component, results in what most people consider pop punk, but it bears little resemblance to the original influences. In the case of Dillinger Four, it's not so much subtraction and addition as it is a cumulative effect. Musically, Dillinger Four combines all the melody of the Ramones and the energy of Minor Threat with the raw, un-produced feel of early Bad Religion, and surprisingly, they are one of the few modern acts to really nail it. Those fearing that Fat Wreck Chords would apply its trademark sound to the record need not worry. Situationist Comedy, like its predecessors, is raw, barely produced melodic hardcore. Each track has its own character, perhaps thanks to the duelling vocalists, and a primal sort of energy that is all too lacking these days. From opening track "Noble Stabbings" to the closer, there's a relentless adherence to a purity of purpose. If Dillinger Four had been around ten years ago, every modern punk band would claim them as an influence. I suppose now we just need to wait ten years for me to be right.