Album Review: Drug Church - 'Cheer'

The only church worth worshipping.

Drug Church are a joke. That's not a slag, they literally take themselves as seriously as a fucking knock knock joke. They're known for being big dirty hardcore men and making songs called "Selling Drugs from your Mom's Condo".  The kind of band when attitude speaks louder than actual melody and semblance of song structure. Now, "Cheer" is slightly different. Lead singer Patrick Kindlon admits with tongue firmly in cheek that the record only came about because "people kept giving us money". But instead of doing what most musicians do when that luxury falls your way (read: develop a smack addiction, make "Chinese Democracy"), they decide to use it the only way they know how- to extend that joke. The album plays like a big fuck you to the post-grunge "shit rock" that dominates American radio waves. Except, despite that inside joke, Drug Church have made something bigger, better, more emotional and more relevant than any of the Nevermind fan boys Kindlon is dead set on eradicating.

The attitude stays, but there's a melody present in the sound that gives them a re-invigoration.  After three years away, this sounds like something that just had  to come out of Drug Church, rather than a pre-meditated piece of art. The album starts with ‘Grubby’, a title that couldn't be more inaccurate- big, shining piece of pop punk with Kindlon's signature yell dotted all over it. It's one hell of a start to a record who's pace doesn't let up for the next half an hour.  It's also a record that employs punk cliche after punk cliche after punk cliche with no care for the irony. ‘Strong References’ sounds like Modern Baseball if they weren't prepubescent. ‘Avoidarama’ is if Pixies formed after listening to The Offspring. These songs actually contain singing as if they're a real band or something. The added pressure of making these songs actually sound good has made Drug Church no less fun. The songs kind of blend into one after a while, but half an hour of no bullshit, no frills, good old fashioned rock n roll fun is not something to be sniffed at. The album hits its peak on the phenomenal ‘Foam Pit’ when Kindlon admits "there's rent I've gotta pay". If this is a just world, this would be another Nevermind moment and he wouldn't have t worry about paying rent at all. However, he's just gonna have settle for it being their Jawbreaker moment. Good records are much better fun than cultural milestones anyway. At least this won't inspire another Nickelback.

Words. by James Kitchen