Knockout Theory

Musically, this band are fairly sound, crafting songs in the mid-'90s Epitaph/Fat style, but whatever is achieved is compromised by whiney vocals and placard-waving political sloganeering. When the vocalists let loose and yell a little more it makes a big difference and the songs begin to take on more of a well-rounded sound. Lyrically, Knockout Theory seem big on intentions but fall a little short on delivery. For example, songs against the Iraq war eschew any sort of critical analysis of a fairly complex political issue and simply label it as "bad" or "wrong." Then again, maybe there's a place for that type of songwriting, sometimes. On the production side of things these guys need to turn down the kick drum, as its overbearing thud distracts from the rest of what's going on. Still, this is a promising debut and there are a lot of standout moments (check out "Self-Destruction" for proof) that show a band with a lot of potential.