Closing the year out with power and fury and hope...and the 2017 demo from MASS ARREST. Casual observers of and participants in North American DIY punk have surely noticed the sporadic blips from this Oakland outfit, especially with their Power LP on Iron Lung this year, but I'm here just to make sure y'all all have your bases covered. Killer, inspirational hard punk that reminds me how I felt when I heard that first batch of FUCKED UP 45s fifteen years ago...the tracks are so catchy, and the vocals grab you so hard that you just kinda shake your head. The back-to-back of "Pass Me The Dossier" and "Young Pac" is the best example of this vibe, arguably the two best tracks on the tape linked together right in the middle to make sure that you are completely hooked before the damn thing is even over. But this band isn't about the tracks, even though there are tracks - read the lyrics to "New Town Drag" assailing not just gentrification but uncomfortably addressing the hypocrisies of the first wavers, and think about "White Validation" (I play the race card because it's the one you've dealt) as the recording comes to a close. MASS ARREST don't get in your face to scare you, they get under your skin to make you uncomfortable...and that's the point.
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