Striped Music Records / Hey Suburbia Records, 23 Sep 2022
The Manges keep on the catchy Ramones-loving goodness on Book Of Hate.
Italy’s The Manges are pretty much a shoo-in for me. I’m positively in love with Ramones, as are The Manges, and the band writes some of the catchiest no-frills punk rock around. The band doesn’t do gimmicks, they only know hooks and choruses that stick to the brain like gum to the underside of a desk. On their new one, Book Of Hate For Good People, The Manges deliver maybe my favorite album of theirs yet. And considering how much I love Go Down and the more recent Punk Rock Addio, that’s a significant statement.
I’m gonna try to keep this review concise. After all, it is Ramones-derived punk rock like I write about so very often. Book Of Hate leans heavy into the type of pop punk that is as contagious as a cold and as tough as one to kick. Front-to-back, there’s a lot to like. Standouts include pre-release singles “Back To Bangkok” and “High On Stress” (and its pretty perfect lead guitar) and the indelible “I Shot Cyrus”. Each of these stuck in my brain on first listen and after only a time or two, I was singing along with each at the top of my lungs. “Too Many Freaks” has a tough-guy voice taking the lead with a rugged huff during the verses, but the catchiness still lands. “Jesus Is My Homeboy” is flat-out “experimental” for the band, using a pulsing synth and some electronic drums to lead, but it ends up being another great punk rock singalong. Near the end, “The Girl With Two Brains” is a silly mid-tempo number with one of my favorite vocal hooks and some fantastic “woo-oo-oo” backing vocals. And its follow-up, “I’m Not A Sissy” is one of the most dumb-infectious songs I’ve heard in a while. The vocal phrasing and melody on the chorus is absolutely spot-on, a fetching shot of melody that won’t get outta my head (not that I’d want it to). Then there’s the opener, “Lucky Tiger”. It’s got some endearing call-and-response vocals throughout that feel like a punk rock call-to-arms (even if the lyrics don’t exactly give off the same vibe). Most of the time, I think it’s my favorite here.
There’s nothing on Book Of Hate to complain about. A couple of songs are a-okay but not quite as great to me as the others (“Bad Surfari Bad Trip”, “The Hate Parade”), but most bands would give their left ear to make songs so good. I also suppose anyone who’s somehow bored by Ramones and their offspring will probably be pretty cool to Book Of Hate (though I must say I simply don’t get that perspective – not judging, I just don’t get it). But people who find themselves queuing up throwback bands like Screeching Weasel, Lillingtons, and The Apers or newer bands such as Covert Flops, Giant Eagles, and Horror Section will find a good time with this one.
Favorite song: “Lucky Tiger” (I think)
Favorite moment: either the call-and-response “Lucky Tiger” vocals or the ridiculously catchy chorus on “I’m Not A Sissy”
Favorite whatever else: the pulsing buzzsaw “Jesus Is My Homeboy” simmers before it burns, doing both amazingly well
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
