Bloodbath and Beyond release long-awaited 7"

Fat Wreck Chords

​Consisting of a handful of punk players from across the country (including the Twin Cities' own Paddy Costello), Bloodbath & Beyond have gotten together to play a handful of shows and to record two 7" EPs. Their most recent release, delayed from its 2005 recording session, is the 7" Punk Planets.

While namedropping D4 and Tiltwheel will tell you who is in the band, there is little sonic similarity. Instead of melody-driven anthems, Bloodbath & Beyond offer up some guttural rock worthy of such a gory name, even if they have trouble being serious for the duration of a 90-second song to work up such a tough guy image.

​The record starts with "Ocean Buffet," which is a quick, half-hearted song that ends with Paddy slurring "Who Let the Dogs Out" into the mic. Starting with the second track, "Whiskey in the Bong," things pick up with catchy, repetitive hooks, backing "whoahs" and playful jabs at the band members. "Spring Break!" ups the bombast, with screaming over a muddy riff and paced with hardcore breakdowns. Things get a little more melodic on "There's No Business Like Show Business," but the band clearly prefers to base their sound on angst, albeit with an overlying goofiness.

Take hardcore, add a lot of beer-fueled cynicism, and the melodic songwriting flourishes of the band's members, and you've got a surprisingly listenable record that, one gets the impression, didn't take the band all that long to create. As good as it is, it's still clearly a side project, driven by having fun more than anything else.

Pick up a copy of the Punk Planets 7" over at Little Deputy Records.