Authority Zero

Item: Andiamo
Author: Phil Nichols

Andiamo

(2004)

Reviewed by Phil Nichols

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Label Lava RecordsDecapolisAugust 2004

punk reggae ska punk

It is a paradox. One that has plagued mankind since the dawn of time itself. It is inconsistent; it is absurd; it is illogical. Think hard: what was one of the fundamental principles of punk rock? What was punk rock about at its core? No, it hasn't always been about tattoos. It hasn't always been about superfluous piercings. From its inception, the whole punk rock spirit was about being different. Thus, the paradox comes into play: many bands, in trying to be different, often go about innovation in the same way, resulting in even more musical monotony and repetition. Case in point: Arizona reggae punk-rockers Authority Zero.

Authority Zero has been around for ten years. Ten Years! And in that decade, they have released two full-length albums. That's a long time to write two albums worth of material. And even with eight years between their beginning and the release of their first album in 2002, the songwriting was nothing to brag about. The band's debut was chock full of lackluster Sublime derivatives and proved to be nothing more than a facsimile of the other reggae-punk bands in the scene. But now, Authority Zero is back with a new album (and this one only took two years to write).

Thankfully, this record, while still drearily similar to many other bands, shows some progress in the band's development. The songs contain the same-old reggae undertones, and much of the album is reminiscent of recent Rancid offerings and even some older Bouncing Souls material. The album is a little less formulaic than their previous disc, which makes it a little easier to make it through much of the album without getting too bored. And (in staying true to their reggae roots) there is even a cover of Wall Of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio".

So is it a decent album? If nothing else, it is tolerable. The songs all have a similar sound so if you like one, you will probably like them all. After a while the songs do start to sound repetitive and boring, mostly because this is just a rehashing of something we have all heard a million times before. If you are a fan of the Bouncing Souls or Rancid's style of punk with some reggae thrown in, then you will probably enjoy this record (that is, until you get tired of it-which will happen eventually).

2/4