REVIEW: Bear vs. Shark "Terrorhawk"

Rating: 7.5

The problem I see with the deluge of punk-lite, emo-punk or punk-pop kids are spooning up these days (ponk? - let's see if that one sticks) is just that, a lot of it feels like it's for kids, by kids. You can blame the jerks in marketing or MTV or whoever but I'm pretty sure it's not just the image, it's the content - so much coming-of-angst and three chord rocket sauce without the heft of abstract thought, time changes or dynamic shifts.

I realize I'm rapidly getting too old to listen to and write about pop music especially considering I'm not getting paid to do it, but I would like to think that there are a few remaining grown men with all the warts and scars that come with the territory willing to shred their own vocal chords and a guitar or two in the name of nothing in particular.  If redundant ponk rock is the illness then the Bear vs. Shark brand of full-grown punk may just be the cure.

As the name implies, Bear vs. Shark is muscular and aggressive.  However, while metal and punk can sometimes be all about faster, louder, harder, meaner Bear vs. Shark do not loose their sense of musicality, dynamism and harmony in pursuit of eviscerating their listeners - entirely.  Think Fugazi on a Henry Rollins trip with Doug Martsch (Built to Spill) playing really loud guitar.  It's nearly impossible to say what any of the songs are about but the sound is coarse, up front, full of blood and guts, and pimple-free - a stellar reminder of how grown ups behave when anarchy sets in.  Beautifully, epically self-destructive.