Violent Years

Described (by NOW magazine) as "...the bastard sons of Stiv Bators playing punk rock n roll from beyond the valley of the (New York) Dolls," these sleazy Canadians return with their new (Jack Endino-produced) full-length (and first for Sub Pop). Their self-titled debut on the Die Young Stay Pretty imprint was hailed as one of the five best punk records of the `90s by Hit List magazine, and The Violent Years finds them raising the bar yet again. The Enhanced CD includes live Video of Shooting Stars at CBGB!

There are trashy punks, there are tawdry punks, and then there are the Black Halos. Members of the Vancouver, BC, brats met frontman Billy Hopeless when he was donning women's underwear in 1994. Since then, the Halos have cemented their love with sweat, smeary makeup, and choice slabs of stoopid rock & roll. Seven years later, the band has released The Violent Years, the fivesome's first full-length CD since 1999's self-titled release on Sub Pop's Die Young Stay Pretty imprint.

On Violent, glam punk's precious little devils flip the anti-establishment finger and dish out more messy rock than can be restrained in one boozed-up band. Whether they're lamenting the dulling of music's sharpest blades ("Lost in the '90s," "Underground") or tripping over bottles on the way to true love ("No Tomorrow's Girls," "50 Bourbon St."), the Halos' "We'll show them all" attitude saturates the 12-song disc. Violent is nothing new in the counterculture cesspool that already spawned greats like the Dead Boys, the New York Dolls, and the Sex Pistols three decades ago, but why get out of the car just because you've been down this road before? The Halos' stand on DIY destruction ("Better Way to Die") should be music to the ears of punk nihilists wearing women's--and men's--underwear everywhere. --Jennifer Maerz