TSA – Back To Kindergarten CD
TSA
Back To Kindergarten CD
(Rough Draft Music)
Currently based in Singapore where the band members are working at, TSA is one of the few veteran Philippines punk bands still going after the initial detonation of the first Southeast Asian punk scene there in the early 80s.
Unlike GI & THE IDIOTS, THE DEAD ENDS, IOV, URBAN BANDITS etc. TSA came into the scene immediately after that bunch of great bands, and fittingly, this CD features the band running through 15 covers of their early Philippines punk rock heroes.
As a tribute of sorts, this is an excellent project; breathing new life to old hardcore classics and presenting them back to a whole new generation who have missed the boat first time it was around.
The band did a good job too, all delivered with much passion and gusto; especially singer/guitarist Pedro going all out intense charging up to the challenge and sometimes reminding me of prime Al DiMalanta fronting the great DEAD ENDS.
However, the ultra-clean modern production; with precisely-played guitars bordering on a more metallic take and the drums played to mechanical perfection, really takes away the gung-ho, murky and reckless nature of the old classics.
It may not be the fault of the bands though. I mean how would you go back to the days of only knowing three simple bar-chords when now you can go on a lengthy and perfect blazing solos?
TSA tacked two new tracks at the end of the disc (Fuck Authority & Life’s Slipping Away) for us to hear how would they sound like when not playing covers, and I must say, both are raging straight-ahead hardcore punk. I just wish the band would go for a more dirty, sloppy and reckless recording than this though. Now that would really make my day.
[audio:https://vintage.ricecooker.site/mp3_wp_rc/2010_04_tsa_fa_96.mp3]
TSA – Fuck Authority
[rating:6/10]
