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Respirators

Respirators

Written by: PP on 10/11/2012 18:16:10

Copenhagen punk hopefuls Respirators have dropped 'the' from their name before releasing their self-titled debut album, which is basically Denmark's response to the Midwestern (particularly Minnesota) punk bands like Off With Their Heads, Banner Pilot, and The Flatliners. Roared, melodic vocals, and a no-bullshit stance into happy-go-lucky riffs that roll around inoffensively while always making sure to create that extra bit of catchy melody while going forward. It's simple, yet enjoyable and undeniably catchy, as we've previously seen from records by all the bands mentioned before and even by Respirators themselves on their excellent debut EP "Neverending Days".

So for their self-titled album, the band fine tune their already established sound and rumble forward with a typically Midwestern punk sound with big sing alongs embedded into the gravelly, roughened vocals and the melodically ringing guitar melodies that carry the album. They've already proven in the past that they can write great songs, and the debut full-length simply reinforces that fact, especially when considering the drunkenly roared punk vocals in tracks like "This Is Copenhagen, the re-recorded version of "Settle For Less", and "Crackin Up/Caving In". These are tracks that are practically designed for sweaty basement style gang sing along sessions.

But all the praise for their songs and sound aside, their greatest enemy remains the recording studio. While the songs are solid, they suffer a great deal from unfinished production that leaves many of the details a little muddy in the final mix, which especially manifests itself in the vocals. The charismatic roar of their vocalist could sound much better had it been subjected to a similar production budget as the latest Off With Their Heads release, and the same goes for the playful guitar melodies that have much to gain from cleaner and more specific production values applied to them. It's simply too easy to tell this is a self-production where money has probably been tight, so it prevents Respirators from expanding their fan base radically and matching up against their international competitors. For now. Once they clean up the production issues, they'll match evenly against the recognized bands in their style.

Download: This Is Copenhagen, Settle For Less, Waiting For The End,In Sight
For the fans of: Off With Their Heads, The Flatliners, Banner Pilot
Listen: Facebook

Release date 21.09.2012
Self-Released