Hangtime – Invasion CD (Dental Records)

Here’s the last one from the Dental Records batch. They were kind enough to send some older works of Hangtime, so today, I have the chance to review their Invasion EP. According to Discogs, Invasion is their third recording, and it stands beside several others, such as Plug In, Invictus Melodius, and Destroy! I am familiar with this Canadian quartet, mainly because I had an opportunity to review their Destroy! CD, which was released by Dental Records last year. Invasion comes slightly before Destroy! but it is equally good material that unquestionably deserves your attention if you’re into some melodic punk rock music.

Invasion contains seven punk rock numbers skillfully assembled to satisfy even the pickiest fans of the genre. Besides the heavy presence of classic melodic punk rock, you may also notice some other similar subgenres of punk music. Hangtime incorporates something that modern punk rock community calls Ramonescore, pop-punk, power pop, and skate punk, but you’ll maybe stumble on some more ingredients along the way. The entire group handles these subgenres with such ease. You can unquestionably vividly hear they’re feeling comfortable while performing these tunes. It’s also important to mention that Hangtime thought about track order because each upcoming composition sounds like a logical continuation of the previous one. Maybe this release lacks a couple of more numbers, but that doesn’t spoil all the fun because these songs are about fifteen minutes or more worth of material.

I mentioned that Hangtime thoughtfully assembled these numbers, and I said that with more than a good reason. The group possesses enormous qualities when it comes to songwriting, composing, performing, producing their songs. Each composition contains loads of melodies and harmonies that are fitting well to the stable chord progressions and riffs. The band keeps tunes at a moderate tempo, but they pay a lot of attention to dynamics. The main portion of energy and dynamics comes from cleverly assembled basslines and excellent drumming performance. I have to admit the lead vocals are right up my alley, and I couldn’t even imagine any other style of singing that goes better with this type of music. The vocals are perfect for Ramonescore and pop-punk sound. Therefore, these chants are coming over the melodies, harmonies, chord progressions, and rhythm like cherry on the top. Invasion possesses everything you ever needed from a pop-punk album. You should give it a listen. Head over to Dental Records for more information about ordering.