Review Summary: Carver City is a solid fourth album from CKY which sees the band returning to their familiar style. The album will definitely please fans and the casual listener, but is unlikely to win them many new fans.
For many, the acronym CKY is primarily associated with the video/dvd series of the same name. This association gives them a prejudiced opinion towards the band of the same name as ‘the one that got famous through being on that stupid stunts show with Bam Margera’, the fact that Margera’s brother Jess is also in the band only adds to this opinion. However, if you look past these preconceptions, you will discover that Camp Kill Yourself (named in homage to the camp in the B-movie of the same name) are capable of producing memorable and catchy hard rock music.
The band's latest album
Carver City is a prime example of this.
Prior to the writing of the album the band were almost at the point of calling it quits due to the front man’s health and tensions in the band reaching boiling point. However this was all resolved and the renewed respect the band members have for each other is shown in the music.
The band are known for fusing a hard rock sound with bleak lyrics based on horror themes backed by spider like riffs from guitarist and vocalist Deron Miller.
Carver City sees the band moving away from the more technically orientated sound heard on 2006’s
An Answer Can Be Found and back toward the styles heard on
Volume 1 and
Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild . The guitar riffs are now more laid back and mainly chord work, but there are still numerous appearances of Deron’s spidery riffs (“Plagued By Images”), however for the most part the guitar work relies on groove and as a backing for the vocals. There are the ocassional lead parts by second guitarist Chad Ginsburg and these parts help to add to the songs and give the listener something else to digest, such as the solo on the track “Rats In The Infirmary” which, whilst brief, is memorable and helps to bring a new dimension to the track. This is again used to good effect on the track “Imaginary Threats”.
The use of a moog synthesiser has been brought back to the forefront of a number of the tracks. This is a welcome return for the effect as it was mostly absence on the previous album, which added to the feeling of a less ‘classic CKY sound’. The effect helps to bring new aspects to the album and is well placed throughout.
The rhythm section of the album is solid with Jess Margera’s drums providing a solid backbeat, which, despite predominantly being simple 4/4 beats, works with the guitars and provides a driving force for the tracks. Matt Deis’ bass work is mainly root based and sticks to the mainly backing up the guitars, however it is well mixed and can be easily heard, and Deis does occasionally provide some interesting riffs which differ from the guitars.
Lyrically, the writing remains solidly in the horror/fantasy themed area. The album title is a fictional holiday resort similar to one that the Miller visited as child. In fact the song “The Boardwork Body” is actually based on a true life event in which a body was discovered under the boardwalk whilst Miller was visiting. Miller has a knack for writing lyrics which tell stories, helping to capture the listener’s interest. The improvement in Miller’s delivery of his vocals is another reason the lyrics work well. The vocals are clearly the focal point on this album, with a number of songs relying on vocal hooks and catchy choruses such as the chorus on “Rats In The Infirmary” which features a gang chant interweaving with the main vocals:
Quote:
Rats! Rats!
They’re living in the infirmary
Rats! Rats!
And they’ve been crawling all over me
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Whilst the above lyrics are cheesy, the way they are performed adds a new dimension to the band’s sound. The improvement in Deron Miller’s vocals can definitely be heard and his singing voice has also improved greatly, both are clearly noticeable throughout the album and help in bringing the lyrics to life and are the hooks are bound to remain stuck into the listener’s head for well after listening to the album. A notable example of this is in the final track “Era Of An End” (which follows in the vein of previous album closing ‘ballads’ “Close Yet Far” and “Don’t Hold Your Breath”) as an entirely sung track showcasing Miler’s improvement.
The album was recorded and produced by guitarist Chad Ginsburg and he does an excellent job of balancing the instruments and vocals, ensuring that each individual part is audible and crisp. The guitar sound is distorted, but not too heavy and meshes well with the bass low end and the drums. The vocals are also clear and well mixed giving the album an overall well polished sound.
Despite these clear improvements, there is the feeling that by returning towards their older sound, the band has failed in making any major progression into new territory and providing anything to attract new listeners or convince any detractors to change their minds. Whilst this is true to some extent, regardless of whether anything new has been or hasn’t been brought to the table, the album is a catchy, enjoyable listen which is perfect for anyone looking to take a short break from more complex music.
Ultimately, Carver City is a solid fourth album for the band which sees them returning to their familiar style and will definitely please fans and the casual listener, but is unlikely to win them many new fans. However it does prove that the band has more staying power than their video/dvd counterparts.
Recommended Tracks:
Hellions On Parade
Rats In The Infirmary
The Boardwalk Body
The Era Of An End
