The Camel City Blackouts – Possession CD

After more than four decades of punk rock and countless groups who tried out to become the next big thing on the scene, it’s hard for newer groups to shine bright on the spotlight. It’s becomes nearly impossible to deliver something completely different than the remaining portion of the scene and preserve the true essence of a punk rock sound. Thankfully, The Camel City Blackouts sound fresh, unique, entertaining from scratch to finish, without losing the beforementioned essence. There’s something about their sound that resonates in a characteristic punk rock manner, but the group articulates in a specific way at the same time. Since their inception in 2015, The Camel City Blackout released a double single called Come Back Down, a debut full-length Possession, and recently the group released maxi-single simplistically named 13. Judging by their earlier recordings, I can only assume this duo instantly clicked, and their love for music and booze keeps them strong nearly six years later. Today, I would like to talk about their full-length album Possession, which the group released by devotedly following the DIY ethos.

The Camel City Blackouts have done wonders with this material. Possession might not be the most innovative punk rock album you heard, but the group invested remarkable ideas into it. This particular material resonates with specific ambiance, thanks to these ideas, clever arrangements, various accentuations, and other sonic delicacies. These experimentations resulted in a profoundly detailed collection of thoroughly planned punk rock numbers that unveil even more elements as the album proceeds. Perhaps Possession bursts with classic melodic punk rock sonic maneuvers, but this interesting album unquestionably carries vividly notable horror punk thematics, some rockabilly rhythmic sequences, ska chops, and other similar delicacies along the way. The list of additional ingredients is nearly endless, and everything might seem a little bit off, but there lays the beauty of The Camel City Blackouts. These guys somehow managed to combine all these elements into harmonious material that will keep your uttermost attention from scratch to finish.

Possession unquestionably carries a tremendous dosage of the horror and macabre thematics, but the atmosphere leans more towards melodic punk rock or pop-punk, to be more precise. You may hear some resemblances with some renowned punk rock bands like Alkaline Trio, Hot Water Music, The Lawrence Arms, Calabrese, Tiger Army, and you may also stumble upon some features showcased on earlier recordings by Rancid and Streetlight Manifesto, but The Camel City Blackouts are keeping their music as unique as possible. Possession is undoubtfully one of those melodic punk rock albums worth checking out. This particular full-length is available on a compact disc, but you may also check out streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Deezer, and YouTube Music if you’re into streaming music.