The Mons

Trust No One, The Mons’ second album isn’t subtle. But what do you expect of a band using that name? This is aggressive, 1980s-inspired hardcore with a penchant for fast songs and straight shooting ‘tude. The opening ripper “This Is Why” is a declaration statement with a minute-long intro before it rages for a whopping 17 seconds. To pull a lyric from the title track, this record sounds like a psychotic breakdown.

With all the straight shooting fury, The Mons are angry, frustrated, and political without being preachy. It’s a tough balance to pull off, considering that “Dead Dick Fan Fic” is about wishing the death of former vice president Dick Cheney. By making the lyrics so forcefully direct, it feels playful despite the message.

Take “The Man” as an example:
I got the gun so be careful what you pray for
I got the power so be careful who you pray for
I got your kid so be careful what you pray for
I got no morals so be careful who you pray for

Those lyrics are indicative of the whole, using rhyming couples and look-you-in-the-eye force, often with a mix of chugga riffs, choppy Black Flag licks and snotty, arrogant vocals. After burning through the first 14 songs in about 20 minutes, the band finally keels over in exhaustion at the end of “Party Down” with a few dramatic chords and a resounding final punch.

Featuring former members of Apocalypse Hoboken, The Arrivals, The Mashers, and Lynyrd’s Innards, this style of punk rock tends to burn bright and fade fast. Trust No One is diverse enough over the 15 tracks that it keeps going strong, with the band suffering their own physical exhaustion instead of the listener feeling like s/he got caught in the gears of an ugly, repetitive machine. It’s good stuff that proves again how timeless a style of music can be without feeling like a band has to reinvent the wheel.

8.0 / 10 — Loren