I love it when bands enter my life by chance and then turn it upside down. This restores my faith in music, a realm dear to me but sadly oversaturated these days. Why all this blabbering about this? Well, the above rings so true about Knoxville punks, Reckless Threat. I attended a concert a while back because of another band but Reckless Threat played as well and they knocked me off my feet and I became a fan right there and then. That brings us to the present as the band unveiled their brand new album, 'Goodnight, And Thanks For All Of The Trauma'. And what a brilliant recording it is!
11 songs are on offer and the band go at it full force from the word go. They definitely don't spare any punches but it's not all speed and frenzy. Melody and harmonies are blended in perfectly making 'Goodnight...' the captivating great album it is.
The subject matters are not for the faintest of hearts dealing candidly with grief, suicide and depression. And that's hard to deal with at the best of times. However, and I might be wrong here, Reckless Threat offer solace, relief and light at the end of the tunnel, that's how I perceive it. The fast, intense yet melodic and oftentimes upbeat music brings a lifeline, a chance to breathe and recuperate, amidst the dark lyrics. The best examples are 'Goodnight, And Thanks For All Of The Trauma', 'Breathe', '5:22', 'Fingerprints', 'Weasel Words' and 'Void' which all represent this, as well as what Reckless Threat are...honest, true and humanitarian.
It's always such a pleasure to be immersed by the music of a band you've just discovered, by chance at that as well, and I was in full swing backtracking Reckless Threat when 'Goodnight, And Thanks For All Of The Trauma' droppee. So the collision, in lack of better words, of old and new by the band has been great especially witnessing how they have evolved by each release. Whether you like punk music or not, this album bypass genres and reach out to anyone and we need need more of that in the world of music these days. So do yourself a huge favour and check this excellent Knoxville band out!
-Swedebeast
