The Flatliners

An impressive collection of fast-paced ska-punk, Destroy to Create succeeds in creating a sound of its own in a genre crowded with clones. Heavy on the up-strokes but light on the silliness, most of the Flatliners’ material is rooted more in hardcore chants than ska sing-alongs. Chris Cresswell’s vocals sound like they’ve been simmered in whiskey and nicotine for the last decade of his life, but this mature sound, equally demonstrated by the rest of the band, betrays the members’ relatively young age. Equal parts toughness and fun, or, if you will, Rancid and Planet Smashers, the driving, up-tempo music of Destroy To Create is well worth the listen.