--Ada Wofford
Released August 30, 2019
Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Strong Zero are a lo-fi, jangly, upbeat punk band with enough power chords and upstrokes to make you want to strap on your old pair of Converse, shotgun a beer, and skank the night away. Their debut EP, Revolution Party Punk was released at the end of August. The band recorded themselves and did so with very little resources. But that’s what being in a punk is all about—making the best with what you have. Singer/songwriter, Ryan Geelhaar told me about their recording process and their gear:
“The recording process was done with a Focusrite, three mics, and a laptop. We did everything separate and mixed and mastered ourselves. We did it over the span of a few months, trying to get the sound we wanted. We brought in friends to help with the bigger gang-vocals when necessary. The guitars used were a Samick Blues Saracino and a guitar that my friend made me. I played through a 1990 Bugera Infinium with a Mesa 2x12 cab and we used an SM57 for the mic. For bass, we used a Shecter Stiletto Custom and it was recorded DI. For drums we used a Pearl Export set. We did it in our practice space when the other bands were gone (they can get kind of loud and interfere) and we were able to record it all ourselves.”
That minimalist approach really comes through in the recording. It’s scratchy, lo-fi, messy; it’s just lovely. It’s exactly how a punk record should sound. The songs themselves are fun and catchy, full of youthful rebellion and an energy that’s far more gleeful than angry, which I found refreshing. At times, Geelhaar’s somewhat cartoonish vocals remind me of the singer from the Thermals mixed with the Adolescents or Angry Samoans.
The track, “Nightmare” is probably the best constructed song on the album, being a bit more realized and fleshed out than those that precede it. The drums dropping into halftime at the start of the first verse is a clever choice and keeps the track interesting. And the chant of WHOAAA! in the chorus is, of course, always fun. Album closer, “From All the Dust” is the band’s most ambitious track on the album with its anthemic style and soaring guitars.
My favorite thing about this album though is the way it immediately reminded me of first joining a band. The songs have this energy about them that simultaneously says, “Fuck it, we’re just having fun!” And, “These songs are incredibly important to us.” And all in the same explosive breath. The optimism and sheer joy that is conveyed on these recordings is what makes this an album worth listening to. Much of this is due to the lo-fi nature of the recordings themselves but we can’t discredit the fact that Strong Zero have put together an EP of five very fun songs. And that’s the word—If I was going to sum up Revolution Party Punk in one word, I’d summed it up as FUN.
And if you’re in the area, catch them at Sidebar—Baltimore, MD on 10/26.
