Cardboard Box Colony / The Deathbots – Split 7″ (Stimulus Package Records)

It has been a while since I posted anything about Cardboard Box Colony. Our loyal readers might remember their self-titled 7″ record I wrote about almost two years ago. Meanwhile, the band released several singles like Have A Bad Day, You Can’t Spell Luau Without U, September Twenty-Worst, and We Were Never Naughty Or Nice. As you can see, these folks were prolific during the pandemic, and they recently teamed up with The Deathbots for a split 7″ release. The Deathbots are an Asheville punk rock group with recordings such as a full-length release Spare Parts, and Mall Sushi EP in their current discography. Both bands sound incredible, so let’s dive into their new split 7″ record.

Cardboard Box Colony opens up this excellent split release with a short but sweet composition called Writing On The Wall. It’s a profoundly melodic skatepunk track with a nice touch of contemporary pop-punk included along the way. These folks strike hard with fast-paced rhythmic sequences, four-chord progressions, and vividly hearable basslines. Each segment of the song delivers some surprises, and I especially loved how complex the ending is, considering it’s a classic melodic punk rock song. Sink Or Swim brings an ear-appealing ambiance based upon moderate but well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics, palm-muted riffs, catchy leads, powerful singalongs, and exceptionally performed lead vocal harmonies. These guys shine during these moments, where the heavy mid-tempo beats clash with profoundly melodic guitars and harmonious vocals. If you never heard of Cardboard Box Colony, their side of this split release might be a good introduction, but you should check out everything they released so far.

The Deathbots deliver a slightly different sound that leans much more towards Ramonescore and nineties punk rock. However, there are also some sonic maneuvers that might resemble something contemporary melodic punk rock bands would record. They almost solely rely upon four-chord progressions, delicate basslines, and moderate beats, but you’ll also notice some interesting segments where the band introduces much more complex musicianship. Thumper and The Dutchmen are perfect examples of how punk rock could still sound interesting without experimenting with other music genres too much. Like Cardboard Box Colony, The Deathbots also highlight many segments with catchy singalongs, while the lead vocalist sounds a bit more aggressive. Of course, both tracks sound well-combined and it’s also nice to see that both bands fit nicely on this piece of plastic. Their side of this split record will unquestionably appeal to those punk rockers who were active on the scene during the nineties.

Cardboard Box Colony / The Deathbots split comes on a milky square lathe-cut 7″ record, decorated with perfectly illustrated black and white artwork, and housed in a protective polyvinyl record sleeve. It’s a must-record for anyone even remotely into melodic punk rock because both bands sound good and deserve your utmost attention. Head to Cardboard Box Colony’s social media or Bandcamp page for more information about ordering.