OHHhhhhh Yeahhhh! Living the dream, yeah! Deadbeat at Dawn and Chupaskabra, Motherfuckers! Sure, it’s just three tracks, but damn, is this an exciting EP. The album is being put out by Coffin Curse Records from Knoxville, Tennessee. Coffin Curse is also putting together a benefit show on November 15th for flood victims from Hurricane Helene. So if you’re reading this before then, please reach out, look them up, and see if there is any way to assist. Aside from amazing music, my favorite thing about small labels is that they genuinely care about making the world better, whether through music or through their actions.
Now, back to this EP, because it’s a damn good album. It begins with a track from Deadbeat at Dawn, a punk, ska, and rap influenced band out of Thirsk, UK. While I had never heard them prior to this track, over the last few years I’ve discovered that the UK has an incredible ska scene. It’s chock full of bands that I made the mistake of overlooking, and every one of them seems to be amazing. The track from Deadbeat at Dawn is “4321” and it’s mostly just a hype track about making music and loving what they do. It’s an aggressive song, fast paced with dual vocalists rapping the verses, quick guitars, faster drums, and solid backing vocals. It features some funky bass guitar rhythms, and some solid lyrics about getting into trouble and avoiding the police.
The second track features Richmond, Virginia’s Chupaskabra singing “Good As It Gets”- their own hype track about loving the fact that they get to make music. It turns out that the themes of these two songs being essentially the same was a pure coincidence as neither band had discussed the songs they were putting on the album with each other. Chupaskabra comes on hard and fast with their song. The horns are punchy and their announcement that they are living the dream feels like they are breaking the 4th wall and talking directly to you before starting the song. Or like they are talking to the audience between songs at a show. It creates the atmosphere of a party and makes you want to be a part of the experience. The song, “Good As It Gets”, has plenty of rap influences mixed with ska punk in a glorious blend. It tells a story about a show when a car crashed into the venue, but the whole atmosphere is just fun, partying, and enjoying the ride. Get in, strap up, things are gonna get crazy.
The third and final song, “Karmageddon”, is another Chupaskabra song, but this one features Aaron from Deadbeat at Dawn to tie everything together. After a brief introduction to the bands, a catchy, fast guitar sets the stage for the song over a simple drum to keep time. Then, out of nowhere, a heavy as fuck metal scream and we are in a hardcore track much faster and hardcore than anything else on the album. I’m left wondering where this came from. The song features some extremely solid ska-core riffs, great upstrokes mixed in with some rapped vocals, and fast paced aggression. The drums on this track absolutely crush. For the last verse, the vocal flow is picked way up and the pace starts accelerating. The tension building is outstanding. Fuck. This song rips so damn hard. Where did this come from? If I had a complaint, it’s that the song is only 1:52 and I don’t want it to be over.
Honestly, I don’t have a favorite song on this album. All three tracks are phenomenal. I want more. I need more. And fortunately for me, I had never heard Deadbeat at Dawn before, and I’m only slightly familiar with Chupaskabra. I can play this on repeat and then my need for more can be satiated by exploring both bands’ back catalogs until they release whatever they do next.
This split is due to be released both digitally and on vinyl. So stay tuned!!
Gimp Leg is a freelance ska fan that enjoys writing, because he is completely devoid of musical talent. He also hates cops and capitalism, but loves paleontology and baseball. He wants you to know that he is proud of you and that you are doing the best you can.