Too much punk

With Fucked Up’s third full length album, “David Comes to Life,” we find the band riding the fence between ambitious and contrived, and too often they fall off on the wrong side of that line. Perhaps that sounds a bit harsh since the band does play energetic, hardcore punk rock that is catchy enough to merit the media and attention they have received thus far.

The problem, though, lies in the delivery of the songs.

Considering the album’s length of 78 minutes over 18 tracks, one might easily assume this was a prog-metal epic and not a concept album from a punk band that pretty obviously takes cues from their Canadian brothers in Grade, specifically from the album, “Off the Radar.”

The band’s trademark of slow, poppy riffs beneath an abrasive yell is frequently imitated in Fucked Up’s formula. Fucked Up succeeds with songs like “Slanted Tone” and “Running on Nothing,” but ultimately it is just too much punk rock for one album.
The vision is commendable, but feels misplaced.

Someone should tell them there is a reason punk songs and albums are short; it’s the nature of the beast.

Fucked Up has the potential to be one of the most popular hardcore punk bands ever, which in itself is almost an oxymoron. They just need to act more like a hardcore punk band.

by Jake Amrhein