The trouble with pop punk is it rarely manages to really be both at the same time; the bands with the best hooks are usually a little short on energy, while the kids who can really lay it out fast and loud sacrifice their tunefulness in the process. But
the Marked Men are one of those rare bands who have figured out how to have it both ways. Guitarists and singers Jeff Burke and Mark Ryan (formerly of the Reds) write songs that sound like a glorious collision between
the Ramones,
the Who, and
the Scruffs, while drummer Mike Throneberry and bassist Joe Ayoub drive their bandmates with Hemi-powered efficiency; and though
The Marked Men crackles with speedy energy, the band never leaves behind their melodic sense along the way. Burke and Ryan's guitars ring out as much as they crunch; most of the songs have great yell-along choruses (especially "Hate Me Anyway," "Backlash," and "Destroy Them"); and this modern marvel of tight, rockin' efficiency tears through 13 top-notch songs in less than half an hour.
The Marked Men is rock & roll that's lean, cool, and lots of fun to listen to, and you don't have to be a teenage punk obsessive to get hip to its virtues. ~ Mark Deming