Review Summary: T.S.O.L./Weathered Statues is a hardcore punk hybrid album that demonstrates the potential in T.S.O.L.'s sound and the beginnings of their transition to gothic punk.
When Jack Grisham ran for Governor of California in 2003, most people wrote him off as a joke. It was not difficult to do so, considering the recall race included candidates that were actors, a porn star, a former baseball commissioner, and a sumo wrestler. This is the same Jack Grisham who in 1981 released a song as the leader of True Sounds of Liberty (more commonly T.S.O.L.) called “Abolish Government/Silent Majority.” If that was not enough, maybe another song off of that same self-titled album “Property is Theft” could work as a more convincing argument to dismiss this potential “contender.” Grisham later realized that the bull was too thick to cut through in politics and has decided to stick to making music. I support him.
T.S.O.L./Weathered Statues is a hybrid album with the latter half managing to be a much more talented yet less entertaining effort from a traditional hardcore standpoint. There is a distinct difference in the sound throughout every facet of T.S.O.L. and Grisham’s voice greatly matures over the course of the year that separates the two releases. The first half has Grisham crooning like an ignorant teenager. However, Grisham succeeds as a sarcastic and witty troublemaker, breaking silence along with his band mates saying, “America, land of the free, free to the power of the people in uniform.” "World War III" and "No Way Out" are also speed songs that hammer down blunt messages of resistance and life falling apart. They begin treading the line of a gothic hardcore band with their darkly unique sound (especially noticeable on “No Way Out”) and with their rushed delivery.
The subject matter of the songs on the first half is juvenile (T.S.O.L. no longer plays Property Is Theft due to its misguided communist messages) but manages to still sound great, though generic. Guitarist Ron Emery is known for his raunchy guitar lines on Code Blue, a famous T.S.O.L. release, and his efforts display a recognizable potential through his minimalist approach. Bassist Mike Roche has a very significant role in T.S.O.L. as his instrumentation is clear on every song and he provides introductions on “Property is Theft” and “World War III.” However, if it’s solid musicianship that you want, you’ll probably want to look further to the second half of the album.
A developed sound is not immediately recognizable with “Man and Machine,” but the next song “Weathered Statues” allows Grisham to carry his voice and haunt his listeners. He sounds sneaky and wise, darkly singing over a guitar that you could swear creates small screams from its vibrated strings. “Thoughts of Yesterday” creates a musical environment that appropriately shadows the lyric “All my friends have died or gone away, I live my life for thoughts of yesterday.” The music does not stay depressing as T.S.O.L. changes time signatures to sharpen the edge with which they can cut through the silence of any night. It’s not funeral music but it may fit your next cemetery romp.
When considering this work against their career, it functions primarily as a solid foundation on which to build. This isn’t T.S.O.L. at their best because the music is not too alluring, but they certainly are far from their worst due to their raw hardcore sound and an infant gothic influence. Fans of
Dance with Me, T.S.O.L.’s notorious release containing the even more known “Code Blue” may be satisfied with this album because this is the closest they get to playing with the dead. For others, a first listen will yield a traditional approach to Southern California hardcore and an introduction to the demented mind of Jack Grisham. After listening you realize that the approach is great for music, but you probably wouldn’t consider voting for the guy.
