8.5.00
Linea 77 sounds a lot like what our good friends in Chapter 23 could do with a lot of production and some well-received recording dollars. What is this whack chick getting at? This is a cool and buzz-worthy band. There were immediate comparisons to Suicidal Tendencies, Deftones, a dash of old-school Fugazi and yes, the aforementioned Chapter 23, which made it so that I wasn’t so quick to hit the eject button. This is some really good stuff!
The songs on Linea 77’s 9-song Earache Records CD “Too Much Happiness Makes Kids Paranoid” all have substance and a nice touch of ethnic diversity. This makes things colorful, and playful while staying serious enough to get the message across that this band isn’t fucking around. The overall sound is slick, memorable enough to make an impression right away. This is indeed a fast-moving record, and each track packs a lot of punch.
The most Deftones influence comes out on ‘Big Hole Man’, and shows again on others throughout the CD, but not so much that the band takes a direct hit enough to be a complete rip off, thankfully. If there aren’t posters of Mike Muir and Chino Moreno on the walls of Line 77’s practice studio though, I would be surprised.
According to Earache Records, the album was originally released on the band’s own label. Since then, Earache picked up the band and remastered/repackaged “Too Much Happiness Makes Kids Paranoid“, and released it in the Spring. Linea 77 have been doing a number of high profile festival dates and headline shows over the Summer.
With Linea 77 in your CD player, the windows down and the system turned up, you could grant a few neighboring drivers a listen, while they return the favor with a dirty look. Sound like fun? Then let’s go for a little drive on the 405. If you’re afraid, you can always check out www.earache.com for the latest on Linea 77 instead. Wuss.
Lesa Pence
– lesa@unearthed.com
