Fleshies Introducing The Fleshies
Dirt Cult Records [2019]
Who: Fleshies hail from Oakland, California and have been around since 1999. This new record finds all the original members giving it another go 10 years after their last full-length release.
Sound: Fiery straight-laced punk rock that can peel the tacky wallpaper off your parents’ walls! Think Sex Pistols, Anti-Flag and T.S.O.L. type of punk.
TFN Final Take: The return of Oakland, California’s Fleshies could be easy to dismiss. The band has not seen the light of day since 2009 but you wouldn’t think that after one spin of this album as the band finds their old form quickly and hits you in the face with the raw power of the almost screaming vocals during the opener “Bruisee.” This feverish approach continues until the over 3-minute “Hold Me Up,” that finds the Fleshies slowing down things a bit and even harmonizing like a fuzzed-up Dinosaur Jr. track. This switch into a more of a rock n roll band happens several times throughout the record and actually works out as the perfect rest from the more intense tracks.
Hands down, the Fleshies deliver a solid classic sounding punk record here which is much harder to find these days. The band says it all with the closer “That’s Much Unfortunate” with its just over 1-minute runtime, scorching guitar and strong repeating, and almost yelling, of the song title which leaves you wanting more. Honestly, at a total of 23-minutes you really have no excuse not give the Fleshies a spin if punk is your thing!
Fleshies Website
Fleshies Facebook
Dirt Cult Records
-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony
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