ANTiSEEN--Drastic/EP Royalty
TKO 2002
Every band has to start somewhere and the importance of making a good first impression can't be underestimated. So many bands fail because they can't initially get something compelling down on tape. Listening to this Drastic/EP Royalty collection, it's easy to see why ANTiSEEN have received opportunity after opportunity to make new albums over the years. They started off on the right, albeit somewhat unsure, foot and never looked back.
Collecting ANTiSEEN's earliest recordings, the Drastic and EP Royalty EPs, this CD provides a glimpse at a slightly different band than what most folks think of them as. In this formative stage, ANTiSEEN's sound was much less focused. The seeds of what they would evolve into are clearly evident here, but there is a struggle going on within these recordings between the hard rock and punk halves of the band's sound. More often than at any other point in ANTiSEEN's history, the hard rock leanings dominate on this disc, making Drastic/EP Royalty an insightful listen---this is the clearest their roots in that genre ever shined through.
It's important to note ANTiSEEN were on the right path with their songwriting, straight away. The material from EP Royalty hints most at what was to come from ANTiSEEN. This is especially true of "Cop Out," though it is much more chorused than coarse, as well as "White Trash Bitch," its cautionary lyrical portrait akin to many other Antiseen classics that would come later. This said, the less ANTiSEEN come to what would eventually be their "traditional" sound, the bigger the highlight. "Absent Minded" from the Drastic EP falls into this category, both the most balanced and 80's sounding of the whole batch. The ultimate top tracks are the short, Black Oak Arkansas inflected "If I Had A Million Bucks," and especially "She's Part Of The Scene"--with its relatively clean vox and slightly KISS flavored seasoning, this one is unlike anything ANTiSEEN have done since.
Different can always be nice but Drastic/EP Royalty holds up simply because it's good. For being a terrific listen, this CD is worth your time. In the same breath, this is just as important in terms of being a document that helps to further clarify the source of inspiration behind one of punk's greatest bands ever. In fact the real revelation is that, even back then, you couldn't completely call these guys punk--they've just been playing ANTiSEEN music, all along.
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