Review
Ann Beretta
Rise

I've been sitting on this record since it came out, and I wasn't sure exactly where I was with it until now. I really wanted to love this record, but my musical taste is that of a 47 yr old guy who has listened to so much music and been in so many bands, that I was afraid the review was going to come off as a cranky old guy trashing what is actually a quality record by some talented guys. Ann Beretta has been around since the mid 90's, and their sound hasn't deviated much from that typical 90's pop punk sound. Actually, Rise, released on their own Bully Me Now label, is a record of songs that would have been huge back when bands from Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph were ruling the punk world. SIng-a-long anthems about starting revolutions, heartbreaks, and the usual stuff that suburban kids go through in their formative years. While you're not getting anything new or groundbreaking here, you are getting the perfect late 90's Fat/Epitaph era skatepunk record. Most of these songs would have fit on the Tony Hawk Pro Skater Soundtracks. These guys are damn good at writing that style of music. They even throw in a few guests on some of the songs. Most notably, Thomas from Strike Anywhere on The Real America and Chris from Less Than Jake on Better Medicine. It should be noted that these guys recorded this record themselves and had the legendary Mass Giorgini (Squirtgun, Common Rider) master it for them, so it sounds exactly like it was from the 90's. I dig that. If you're into bands like Bouncing Souls, Ramones, and late era Anti-Flag, this is your favorite record this year. Seriously, it's perfect for what it is. 20 yr old Kole would have loved this. But for the time we live in, I give it a solid 6/10