Coliseum

Coliseum's Goddamage EP must be listened to in order to be believed. Hell, looking at the cover art, one has to know what to expect. That is not to say that the record is so obvious. The cover simply represents the mood and salvo of sound on the record completely, even down to the faux sticker on the back: "As a pig… I found it to be an anti- pig record" (A reference to a sticker originally placed on Black Flag's original press of the Damaged LP.) From the music down to the artwork, Coliseum takes umbrage with their view of the state of things. The real breakthrough on this album, however, is the stunning use of melody in the guitar leads. This development in the band's creative output makes this record damn infectious.

Goddamage begins with an absolutely killer track, "Year of the Pig." This song rips through its two and a half minutes with longing, desperate vocals that hint at a resolve to personally change. The groove laid down by the guitars almost induces listeners to bob their heads in time to the music. It turns out to be a great way to kidnap listeners for the remainder of the EP. By the time "Dehumanize" kicks in, the Coliseum is in high gear. Tearing through this song with reckless abandon, the band stuffs energy galore into its barely one minute time frame.

The real gems of this sucker are the last three songs. "Reborn to Hang" starts off fairly pedestrian, but about half way through the song, this wicked guitar solo comes out of nowhere and leads into one of the most unique breakdowns punk rock has ever witnessed. The groove, the vocals, the total deconstruction and reconstruction of it all just really shows off Coliseum's ability to hit hard. Next up is "Head Down and Burn." This track has a great call and response bit in the vocals that really contrasts the straight-ahead beating that the song inflicts. "Set It Straight" ends the album on a hyper kinetic upbeat mood of revelation and determination. Again, the melody in the guitar leads truly accentuates the song in a memorable way. It is a wholly satisfying way to close out the record.

For a record that comes off as a bit negative at first, Goddamage leaves you smiling after every listen. It is every bit as good on the hundredth listen as it is the first time and leaves you salivating for more. Coliseum has set a high bar for themselves with this monster of an EP and will re-ignite the punk rock fire in even the most jaded of scenesters.

9.0 / 10 — Bob