Having single versions or album versions that are shorter than their original is not always a bad thing, and a prime example of that is German Punk Rockers Coma Beach‘s latest EP, I Won’t Listen. The EP comprises four tracks, all of which remove an intro or a longer segment of the respective song that the band members believe fit more on the full length album, The Scapegoat’s Agony, making this EP hard-hitting and straight to the point. Let’s break each track down and discuss it.
The band took a bold decision putting this track as the first one, considering how it’s the climax of the concept album that was originally released in the 90s. The hard hitting rhythm section matches so well the angsty and overdriven vocals. The guitars however, sound on the clean-ish for most of the song, except when the pace (intentionally) changes for the hooks. Overall, you can tell that the band are master songwriters by how well they change the timing of the drums and the vocal style while still maintaining the emotion and vibe of the song.
Although cut a little shorter than the album version, this track is still my favourite release from the band’s entire repertoire. The drums are hard-hitting, the bass is present and strong, the guitars are relentless, and most importantly, the vocals are distorted and overdriven for the entire song’s duration. It may be the song that will make you wanna push someone and start a mosh pit.
Now if it wasn’t for some of the nasal qualities and the unique bass tone, I would’ve thought that my music player had shuffled to a different artist. This song is a guitar ballad that somehow still sounds like textbook punk rock. Its most amazing quality is the vocalist’s ability to sound broken and then determined in the exact same sentence, matching the album’s nameless antihero. I promise you this is unlike any other punk song you’ve heard before and it’ll blow your mind away.
Another exemplary Punk Song, but this time it sounds like a time warp to the 70s. The vocals are balanced between clean chesty parts and more raspy ones, and there are some melodic guitar lines intertwined with the percussive ones. It doesn’t matter if you’re a punk or a metalhead (like myself) because there’s an impeccable rhythm section on this song that will get you hyped and moving. A beautiful closer to an EP that gives listeners a peak to the full experience of the band’s magnum opus of a record, The Scapegoat’s Agony.
