Friday, May 24, 2019

Forgotten Fridays: The Explosion - Flash Flash Flash

Forgotten Fridays is an occasional feature here at If It’s Too Loud... where we go back and find the lost records of our glory days. We played these on our college radio shows, put them on countless mix tapes, and then forgot they existed. We go back and remind you of their existence, and help decide if they were any good.

Flash Flash Flash, the debut album from Boston's The Explosion, made me feel old back when it was released. I graduated college that year, and a brand new punk band (especially one as thrashy and "skate punk" as The Explosion), seemed like something I should have outgrown. I hadn't, and I loved this album. Somehow they slipped my mind until it was just announced that they'd be opening some shows on Bad Religion's summer tour. Of course, not Boston...

The Explosion surprisingly hold up. The songs are driven at a throttling speed, but still keep some semblance of a tune and melody. It's definitely not hardcore, and it's definitely not pop punk. Flash Flash Flash is filled with these great fast and loud punk songs that are nowhere near as embarrassing to enjoy as I pretended they were back in my just graduated from college smugness. It's definitely a lot less embarrassing than the majority of the punk I listened to in college.

Since their split in 2007, The Explosion have played three one off shows. It will be interesting to see if this upcoming run with Bad Religion inspire more.

No comments:

Post a Comment