Implants
The Olden Age EP
(Cyber Tracks)
Life’s good when things make sense. Implants, a punk super group featuring members of Strung Out, No Use For A Name, and Pulley, clearly feature a bunch of SoCal punk vets from bands you might remember if you got into punk through Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (perfectly fine introduction point). It would make sense that the band would play music that is fast, melodic, and perfect for a skateboard game (or skateboarding or Summer). It’s a simple logical assertion to make, and thankfully, The Olden Age is just that: perfectly fun, hooky punk meant to be blasted with a smile.
This is grade-A melodic punk, through and through, before that really meant punkish pop for the young Warped Tour crowd. Implants have an excellent grasp of being amazingly hooky and fueled by a punk spirit, much like mid-career MxPx did. Sure, this little EP is bolstered by a bit of nostalgia, but there’s not question that four of these five songs are just wonderful bursts of short, Sunny melodies. “All For Nothing” is the clear winner, with the best chorus of the bunch, and only “Come On Come On” is a bit of a dud; ending on a mid-paced rocker was a poor choice. Otherwise, this is the type of melodic punk that will take you back to pixelated skateparks and singing along to the CD in your boombox.
