A bit more than a year ago, THE HONOR SYSTEM came out with a great debut full length on Asian Man Records. The band instantly reminded me of what BAD RELIGION would have sounded like had it been founded in the Chicago/Midwest punk scene. My interest waned in this band though, and I pretty much forgot about them altogether – that is, until the day this little gem arrived in the mail. “100% Synthetic” is a six song EP that’s chock full of tight, emotionally loaded songs that remind me a little more of ALKALINE TRIO this time around (and perhaps some of that HOT WATER MUSIC magic), but with a harder, darker edge. There’s one truly standout track on here, “Finding Color In Grey People,” which has an embedded guitar hook late in the song that is just amazing. Although THE HONOR SYSTEM lack a “one defining characteristic” I like their honest, somewhat gritty approach to songwriting, and the personal, critical lyrics. To boot, the artwork here is rather cool and this disc has a very artistic feel. This is worth checking out.

Double Zero

www.doublezerorecords.com