The CD starts off with "You Think You're So Darn Special." A classic teen tale of encountering someone who thinks they are so high they can tell you that you are wrong all the time. But they add a twist to this tale. Throwing their spices of pop, punk, and speed into one cake and then they bake it. The outcome is a well crafted pop-punk song with a nice bite to it. Track three needs it's own zip code. This title is one for the record books, "Some People Know All Too Well How Bad Liquorice, or Any Candy For That Matter, Can Taste When Having Laid Out In the Sun Too Long-and I Think I Just Ate Too Much." Yes, I think someone was bored when they named the song. But the fast and furious punk power of this track won't make you bored. Guitars so sharp they could cut bread, and power so strong it could move a building with it's mental powers. Track Six, "Let Me Go," finishes off the twelve minute EP with a fuzzy starting and then it kicks into full gear. One of the fastest tracks on the CD. What a way to end. Or is it?

With all the power and fury this CD has the potential to release at you, it loses itself when the band gets sloppy, and they always try to pick right back up, but it doesn't always work. A few times they make up for the error and come back powerful and stronger than before, but other times they get lost in their own power. This band has a lot of potential, and if they could channel it, they could conquer the world! I would give this CD a B+. The EP is quite strong, it just needs to be more focused in some parts, bottom line.

Hiss, The: Panic Movement

Hives, The: Veni Vidi Vicious

[Issue One // July-August 1997]