A Thrashing New LP from Vitamin XP

A new LP release from Vitamin XP takes some of the best elements of alternative rock, thrashy punk, and vintage tonalities to bring out something that breeds authenticity. This is coming from someone who grew up loving all kinds of punk, and I can tell you right now, This release oozes character, personality, and a pure love for the genre, along with some surprises around the corners and undeniable attitude and energy that you end up feeding into as the record unfolds.

The record starts with its first and title track, which hits with inventive riffs that combine the alternative rock and punk approach to breed something that feels familiar but addictive. Right off the bat, you're getting a feel for some of the Staples that the record holds.

A little bit of rambunctiousness, wild riffs and energy, driving drums that don't just push the songs, but rather give them life. The drumming adds such a massive liveliness to these songs. Double tracked vocals that make me think of whole or certain kinds of riot rock bands of the 80s and 90s.

The vocalist really lets it all out; unafraid to rip into these songs and give them additional attitude and swagger, which is exactly what they need.

Now, although this song does give you some of the best staples that the record has, listening to this record in full is an absolute must.

Yes, you can hear one or two songs and get a gist for the LP but it will not give you the full spectrum of what the whole album offers.

Like I mentioned a little earlier, there are lots of surprises around the corners and the thing is just bursting with attitude and in almost live performance style energy, which is something that becomes very infectious.

What I mean is, it feels almost like they recorded the songs live on the floor, and everyone was just feeding off of each other the entire time.

This lets the songs feel kind of alive and breathing and puts you in the moment as well.

Tracks like "Street Walker" are the ones that showcase more of a vintage, classic punk rock vibe. It is oozing with that classic punk aesthetic and atmosphere. You get attached to that, especially if you grew up loving punk like I did.

This track bears that early '80s sort of street punk underground feel, and I love it because they nail that soundscape so well that it gave me bouts of nostalgia.

Tracks like "Simple Philosophy" come through catchy, and it's songs like this you can hear their pop influences as well.

Although the record thrashes out well, comes at you with massive Sonic overloads, ferocious guitars, feedback, and attitude, there's also this pop sensibility that lurks just beneath the surface of almost every track.

Listening to this record makes you want to see the band perform everything alive, right in your face. If they can capture this kind of energy and aesthetic on record, then seeing them live must be a face-melter, and that's exactly what I would expect from a band like this in a live show.

I'd want to have my face fully melted. I'm positive they could pull it off.

That's the beauty of bands like this. They give their all on the record so well that you automatically know they're a live band. You know, seeing them live is going to kill it, and for them to be able to pull that off on the actual record itself is outstanding.

This is definitely a record for anyone who has a pure love for Punk, thrash Rock, alternative, riot rock, garage punk, any of that stuff. This record wraps all of that into one vivacious and outlandish package that you will not soon forget.

You have to listen to this record to see exactly what I mean.

Again, I suggest listening to this all the way through because there are gems throughout this thing.

I also feel like it's the kind of record that's meant to be heard from start to finish.

You can hear the massive slew of influences coming through during the course of the entire album, and although this is a punk and alternative rock record, there are more layers to it than usual, and I feel like it's built with fewer boundaries around it than what you may be used to.

This makes things all the more fun and makes for a record that has a bit of impact and gives you that classic, fists-in-the-air set of rock bangers that you want to listen to nice and loud.

Don't listen to this record on a low volume. There's almost no point whatsoever.

Crank It up in the car so that you can really soak everything in.

This was a super fun experience, which is yet another reason to listen to the full album. The full record gives you this big experience.

This is the kind of record that makes me think of how we used to read about a band in a magazine or hear one song on a radio station and then go to the store, buy the CD or the cassette tape, take it home, and listen to the entire thing.

Although we got it for that one track, when we sat down at home and listened to the full album, it was a whole different story.

This record reminds me of exactly that. The aesthetic and feeling are the same.

I can honestly say this is a record that had me smiling from ear to ear pretty much the entire time.

Again, don't just take my word for it. Listen to the album now and remember where you heard it first.

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