Album Review - Implants

• by Melissa Bobbitt
• May 7, 2013

Implants
From Chaos to Order
Cyber Tracks

For those of us who used to enthusiastically buy those inexpensive punk CD compilations at Hot Topic, Implants read like a meeting of the gods. Composed of mighty scraps from Pulley, Strung Out, Ten Foot Pole, Voodoo Glow Skulls and the Tank, the genre has been blessed with its own Traveling Wilburys.

What's more is that the supergroup's debut, From Chaos to Order (Cyber Tracks), is a road map to all the essential subgenres of the ferocious landscape: Caffeinated opener "Life Passes" is a punk-pop anthem appealing to Blink-182 loyals; "Mutualism" growls as it comes to an Offspring-meets-Casualties junction, Chris Dalley's drums firing off like machines guns; "Puppet Regime" borders on thrash, sure to incite mosh pits aplenty.

And what good punk record would be complete without a little nose-thumbing at authority? Here, it comes in the form of "El Ron," a scathing take on Scientology, which directly calls out John Travolta and Tom Cruise. The first strains are accentuated by organs, quickly morphing into a frenzied criticism of the religion's leader "hiding out in a Bluebird motorhome."

The Tank singer Ken Conte does a fine job delivering these shout-along numbers in his scratchy, familial voice. Supported by guitarists Rob Ramos and Jim Blowers, as well as bassist Chris Del Rio, Implants are - as the lyrics of "Bleed Within" proclaim - totally fucking rad.