III time's the charm

If I ever get into a bar fight, I can only hope The Bronx will be blaring from the jukebox.  

The Bronx’s third album The Bronx (III) fits somewhere between AC/DC’s rock 'n’ roll stomp and the riff-tastic guitar heroics of bands like Rage Against the Machine and Led Zeppelin.

III comes during an interesting time for The Bronx. This release is the sister piece to a mariachi (yes mariachi) record due out next year. For some reason they decided it would be a good idea to release two records back to back, one a punk-rock record and the other a mariachi record.

Sometimes bands do things that defy all logic. This might be one of those times. All Mexican folk music aside, this is a solid record.

The focus here is groove. Extensive guitar solos and other metal cliches are nowhere to be found, which is certainly a welcome thing in a year that hasn’t seen much originality.

III borrows a lot from the classic punk-rock playbook, but it does so in such an exciting fashion that it never comes across as stale or bland. 

The songs are short and simple. Even with such simple tracks, each manages to have its memorable moment. Whether it’s the sing-along chorus of the opener “Knifeman” or the mosh-pit-inducing groove of “Six Days A Week,” the Bronx proves on each track that simple rock ’n’ roll never goes out of style.  

The only issue really holding this album back from greatness is the production. It’s sufficiently dirty, and there’s no trace of any studio wizardry, but the band sounds perpetually flat.

Clearly the band is aspiring for a classic recording style, but the production actually keeps the songs from their true potential. The drums are the biggest offender, sounding more like a collection of thumps on cardboard boxes than anything else.

With only minor complaints, The Bronx III is certainly worth checking out. If the production were more powerful, the band might have had a breakthrough release on their hands. Regardless, this is a welcome relief from the onslaught of generic music that’s dominated the year.