I’ll be honest, I’ve always dismissed CKY as being ‘the band with the brother of that dude from Jackass’ and not really paid attention to them. More fool me. CKY certainly pack a punch and this record, their first for Roadrunner, is said to be more melodic than any of their other records. Not being able to compare them to their previous output, I’d have to say that ‘Carver City‘ is quite a ‘singalong’ record, although it really does mix up the styles. There’s some metal, pop, classic rock, prog…even layers of synth. It’s a cliche but to say there’s something for everyone really does ring true here.
‘Hellions On Parade’ is a solid start to the record with a decent riff. The riffs on this record are certainly one of the best parts of the band. ‘Imanginary Threats’ and ‘..And She Never Returned’ are both solid songs too. It’s not all good though, as ‘Rats In The Infirmary’ is a pretty poor track with some absolutely terrible lyrics. I guess you could describe this band as a cross between Sum 41 and Queens of the Stone Age. A band that can be silly yet fun, metal yet hard-hitting. If that sounds appealing, then ‘Carver City‘ is the record for you. To be honest it’s not really my thing and while I can tell this will appeal to some, I don’t think it’s an album I’ll have on repeat all that often.