I need not bore you with details about how Tony Hawk has become a huge icon in American pop-culture, but it bears worth mentioning because having his name attached to this project virtually guaranteed that it would be a product of outstanding quality. “Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland” is the moniker of the latest Tony Hawk videogame, and this 14 song soundtrack compilation features classic 80s punk/hardcore classics covered by modern day contemporary bands related in some way to the punk scene. While numerous compilations of the sort have been assembled in the past (notably the three “Punk Rock Jukebox” volumes released by Blackout Records), this release is by far, the most high profile of the bunch, and perhaps most importantly, the best sounding. Covers compilations, which are essentialy hit or miss by nature, are often bedeviled by poorly recorded material – perhaps studio castaways left in a closet somewhere. Not here. In a feat that should not be overlooked, all 14 songs on this compilation sound fanastic, and mostly stay true to the timeless spirit of the originals. The all-star cast assembled here of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, TAKING BACK SUNDAY, RISE AGAINST, FALL OUT BOY, THRICE, ALKALINE TRIO, THE BLED, EMANUEL, SAVES THE DAY, DROPKICK MURPHYS, THURSDAY, FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES and HOT SNAKES shows barely a wrinkle. As expected, some covers are less than perfectly matched. FALL OUT BOY doing GORILLA BISCUITS’ “Start Today” is a valiant effort with a disappointing result, while SAVES THE DAY’s version of THE DEAD BOYS’ “Sonic Reducer” struggles to display much vocal conviction. THRICE’s roughshod MINOR THREAT tribute in “Seein’ Red /Screaming At A Wall” is fast and furious, but interjects little of THRICE’s own unique sound, and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE’s homage to all things dark with THE MISFITS “Astro Zombies” is par for the course, but not much more. On the other side of things, SENSES FAIL does an absolutely masterful version of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES’ “Institutionalized,” (personal anecdotes included), and the DROPKICK MURPHYS iteration of “Who Is Who,” had me pulling out my ADOLESCENTS records in a matter of seconds. Even TAKING BACK SUNDAY manages to slip into the skin of the DESCENDENTS with their rendenition of “Suburban Home,” and “I like Food.” HOT SNAKES choice of song, “Time To Escape,” by GOVERNMENT ISSUE, surprised me in that I always felt GI were sorta “below the radar” for a release like this, but regardless, I’m thrilled to hear it on here. The other pleasant notable comes from EMANUEL’s gruff cover of IGGY POP’s “Search and Destroy.” It’s hard to believe that a band coming from today’s “polished” emo/rock scene could honestly capture the genuine nastiness of the original, but EMANUEL have me convinced of their abilities. Who knows what effect, if any, this will have on the punk rock world at large, but if it turns just a couple of new-to-the-scene kids onto “the classics,” who can reasonably argue with that? Surely, not me.

Vagrant

www.vagrant.com