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What’s up Sorry Staters?
I won’t delve too much into my personal life this round. Just know that pollen has infiltrated my nostrils and I’m already sweating the moment I walk out my door. Happy April, everybody. I was halfway tempted to do an April Fools write-up for the newsletter today, but I’ve decided to remain earnest. Just in case you were suspicious.
Quick reminder: One week from today, Indikator B from Croatia will be playing in Raleigh. I’ve been promoting their upcoming gig with tourmates Totalna Tama, but they hadn’t even shared their tour flyer on social media yet. Now it’s being shared, which I’m sure is directly related to the news that I have learned that the band have safely made it into the US. Thank the laaaaawwdd! So yeah, April 8th in Raleigh. Local rippers Plastique Pigs and Sunyata open. Don’t miss it!
Okay, onto talking about records:
As many of you readers already know if you’ve been paying attention, the fine folks at Tankcrimes have been peppering out reissues of the Inepsy catalog over the last couple years. Kinda funny to reissue the albums in order one at a time over several years, but I guess it does build excitement and anticipation. I remember when Sorry State first got in copies of Rock ‘N’ Roll Babylon a couple years ago and reacting like “whoa, didn’t realize this was happening!” Pretty much all the Inepsy records, at least the LPs anyway, were originally released on the illustrious imprint, Feral Ward. And as is the case with many of the great bands Feral Ward released on their label, most of those Inepsy records are out of print and in demand! Who would’ve thought one day records from the mid-00s would start fetching high prices? Like $80 for a Masshysteri record? Don’t get me wrong, I love ‘em, but that feels psycho to me.
I think a big part of the reason people have shelled out the cash to buy the og Feral Ward copies of these records is because they hold up, right? You listen to those records 20 years later and they still sound good. If anything, I think a bunch of the lore surrounding Inepsy has only gained traction over the years. They’re like a staple at this point. Canon, if you will. Every third or fourth young punker in a lineup meeting the required 200 stud minimum will most likely have an Inepsy patch on their jacket. I’ve literally heard City Weapons referred to as a “modern classic”, which is kinda funny. But honestly, I don’t disagree.
As of this past weekend, Inepsy’s 3rd album_ No Speed Limit For Destruction_ is back in print and available at Sorry State. And we’ve sold a few. Just a few. But my perception is that it’s not quite flying off the shelves quite like the previous albums. Some might consider this record a departure for the band. Is this record maligned and panned much like And Justice For All, Kiss’s Dynasty, or Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk? Perhaps. Obviously, I’m joking with these comparisons, but you get my point.
No Speed Limit is often described as basically the “hard rock” version of Inepsy. I suppose people think they softened their sound slightly. Even people who love the band are kinda like, “Dude, it just doesn’t rip the same way as the other records.” To which my response is an emphatic WHO CARES?? I gotta say man, over the years I think No Speed Limit is easily their best record. For real, I’m not just saying that to be contrarian. I really think it’s like a proper good-ass record. Trust me, I like City Weapons as much as the next motör-punker. But even early on, Inepsy obviously had those rocked-out elements in their sound. And I don’t necessarily need to seek out the earlier records to get my fix of ripping D-beat music. There’s actual raging hardcore records I could spin to satisfy that impulse.
Hear me out: Inepsy is a little bit silly anyway. Like, they’re kinda funny. And I think they knew it, too. Songs like “Bombshell Rock” on their supposedly superior earlier records still have that element of tongue-in-cheek vibe about them. It’s proper good-time, fist in the air, sing-along leather punk party music! Straight up. So sure, you can sing about dystopian themes, but you’re not gonna get Disclose-style lyrics from Inepsy. So, if you’re already singing about riding your motorcycle in a nuclear wasteland, you might as well go full-tilt into a record that sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a Mad Max movie. Sorry, not sorry. The band seems to be at their most comfortable crossing that divide and basically sounding like Tank for a new generation. I truly believe, whether they’re winking at the camera or not, their songwriting feels stronger and more refined on this record. It rules. The hooks are WAY bigger, growing exponentially. Super memorable. Badass aggressive music doesn’t need to be so self-serious like… ALL the time. When they sing, “Rock ‘n’ roll is the only way!”, is there a hint of irony? Sure. But you gotta suspend your disbelief. Rock’n’roll in fact IS the only way, dude. So maybe this conversation is all more Kiss-related than I thought.
Now I feel like everyone’s gonna accuse me of actually doing an April Fools staff pick after all. I promise I’m being 100% genuine. If you don’t like No Speed Limit For Destruction, I’m just gonna have to sit you down and tell you what exactly what you need: another Jack Daniels, another beer, and 10 packs of smokes to ease the pain. Everything is going to be okay. Just buy this record. Unless you hate fun.
I’m gonna end it there. As always, thanks for reading.
‘Til next week,
-Jeff