PRISON

There was a period in the early TE days when it seemed like Upstate New York was the center of the North American punk universe. Every time I turned around there was a new bomber from NEUTRON RATS, ACID REFLUX, ANAL WARHEAD, NUCLEAR FAMILY.....or an unearthed early '00s relic like ECFU. It became noticeable enough the Logan put me on blast for prioritizing Albany over Austin (think about that), but it didn't last forever. The last time I toured the East Coast I hit up folks for a show somewhere on the turnpike between NYC and Buffalo, but the word was that most of the punks had moved away....Boston, Chicago, Austin...away from a vast expanse of turning foliage and Middle America mindsets. But that was a generation ago, and I listen to this 2016 PRISON demo wondering if the region is back on the map? This is certainly an offering strong enough to anchor such a resurgence (their 2017 three song banger might pack an even deadlier punch), five tracks of noisy, plodding punk that sounds urgent even if it sounds somewhat time stamped by current trends. The simplicity of the two-riff "Creep" as the closer translates as pure fury - it doesn't have to be fancy kids....it just has to be right - with a disjointed guitar lead that has been stuck in my head for days. Let's hope Electric City is turning punk again...

PRISON