Cavalcade

Recorded with longtime producer Steve Rizun in their off days during three straight years of touring, Cavalcade finds Canadian Fat Wreck artists the Flatliners in top form. Their chops are expectedly tight, the songs are road-tested and true, and their sound is rougher and heavier than before, as Chris Cresswell's throaty rasp leads the way over chugging skate-park rhythms. Bad puns aside, "Liver Alone" and "Here Comes Treble" are strong songs, with the rushed, harsh hooks that fans have come to expect and love. The majority of Cavalcade holds steady in the melodic pop-punk style of labelmates Dead to Me and Anti-Flag, with the occasional detour; "Monumental" is poppy enough for radio play, and "He Was a Jazzman" briefly recalls the band's ska roots with Scott Brigham's choppy, syncopated guitar work. Also, to break it up, a number of guests make appearances. Dillinger Four's Paddy Costello, Erik Funk, and Bill Morrisette sing on "Bleed," A Wilhelm Scream vocalist Nuno Pereira sings on "Shithawks," and Cancer Bats' Liam Cormier sings on "The Calming Collection" and "Sleep Your Life Away." These are all welcome additions, as are the choice samples from the 1987 mockumentary More Bad News. ~ Jason Lymangrover