Jerkazoid Introduces Us To Melodic Power
Sometimes with skate and pop punk, the listener puts melody over substance. They hear the words, but never think. Due to their popish elements, audiences passively listen and never stop to ask important questions due to incentivized dancing. Jerkazoid, from Portland, makes that desire much harder, taking a genre and, morphing it into a harsher criticizer of the now.
All photos courtesy of Jerkazoid
Their new album, Earth In Reverse, releasing on July 14th, is an upbeat, melodic, catchy, and familiar rendition of skate/pop punk. Songs like “Runaway” dip into a familiar The Story So Far vocal cadence, and “Six Minutes Away” derives from a heavy Blink-182 characterization with its guitar riff. Other prominent influences poke their heads out: NOFX, Descendents, Bad Religion, Operation Ivy, No Pressure. The playful exterior of these groups appears in Jerkazoid's dedication to heavily melodic guitar riffs and catchy harmonies.
Yet those influences are packed with a camouflaged intention that says, "We got you dancing, but now we got you thinking.” The album incites challenge with its mix of humor, sarcasm, and avoiding sidestepping the insanity of the present moment. You will definitely move to such tracks as “Big Dumb Bitch,” “Lebanese Christmas,” and “King of the Middle of Nowhere.” But slowly, you will begin to stop, comedically placing your hands on your hips as the lyrics pull you into a serious examination of reality.
“Thematically this album is about regression,” says vocalist/ guitarist Jules. “It's our own immaturity, rage, humor, and resistance in the face of a world that seems to be going backwards in more ways than one. And we’re pissed off about it. Sometimes that looks like blunt political takes, and sometimes it's humor because I don’t know how else to cope.”
All photos courtesy of Jerkazoid
They establish a lyrical playground, light and heavy. There on the right, a colorful jungle gym to woo your school crush, or make the occasional immature joke. On the left, a heated metal slide ready to sear skin with its honest commentary. We hear playfulness, yet the ability to address the uncomfortable is strong.
“Right now it feels like Punk Rock is fighting a losing battle,” says Jules. “We’ve got no misconceptions about our own impact or ingenuity musically, but I fucking hate what the American Empire is perpetrating here and around the world. We hate our dumbass President and all of his sycophants. The current moment shouldn’t be defined by a ‘fuck it lets dance’ mindset because there is too much on the line. I don’t write songs about girlfriends because thats lame as fuck to do while the world is on fire. And that fire is what fuels this album from front to back with a little of our stupid jokes sprinkled throughout.”
All photos courtesy of Jerkazoid
The album harshly asks us to reassess our priorities as the world burns, and shuns those who won’t take the time. Tracks like “I Want to Be 18 Forever,” “ Earth In Reverse,” and “No Comfort” are quite forward.
Even with all these lyrical elements, the album still allows for some lightheartedness. As Jules told ISM, “We’re just a few dudes who love punk rock and everything it stands for. Hopefully the honesty, the friendship we share and the anger is as palpable as our humor. We will say our piece about hating everyone and feeling like losers and then enjoy the hell out of making dick jokes onstage and sharing a beer with everyone afterwards.” Jerkazoids’ new album, Earth In Reverse, is out July 14th.
