Greyskull
Pretty in Ink (Self-released)
If these local punks had a bit more chutzpah they would have covered the Psychedelic Furs' song they poke fun at with the title track of this terrific EP. As is, this potent trio has all the things that make for a good punk experience: loud, bracing guitars, a significantly snotty attitude and a glancing familiarity with melody.
"We're not all from the sticks/And we're not all racist hicks," gleefully sings Chris Smyers (no relation) on "Texas Song" as guitarist Brad Bevill and drummer Robbie Estill pound out old-school punk in the vein of Social Distortion, Bad Religion and the Misfits as brash accompaniment. While the annoying emo variety of punk has robbed the genre of its anarchistic splendor, replacing genuine rage with eyeliner and bangs, Greyskull thankfully embrace a tradition of honest contempt that goes all the way back to the Sex Pistols and the Stooges.
While a song like "Elevator Friends, Hallway Enemies" might initially seem like a personal vendetta, in actuality the song is a heady condemnation of corporate backstabbing. It also rocks like hell as good punk rock always does. Featuring razor-sharp production by Joe Sidoti, Pretty in Ink speaks well for the disaffected DFW youth hanging out at the local tattoo parlor.
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