Excess, Betrayal & Our Nearly Departed

Although obviously mutually inspired by 1980s Southern California outfits Bad Religion and Social Distortion, the Generators' ability to replicate is their trump card on Excess, Betrayal...and Our Dearly Departed as anthems like "New Disease," "Crawling on Top," and "Here I Go" ensure. Granted the group — seemingly named for one of Bad Religion's earliest albums — is hardly innovative, but they also recognize that sometimes a vintage American punk fan just wants to hear a blazing, guitar-charging, chant- and hum-along song cycle. Vocalist Doug "Dagger" Caine leads his co-conspirators through a series of keepers ("Thirty Seconds" is another barnburner). If "Dying in a Rock & Roll Band," the outfit's stab at piano-thumping rockabilly, is the lone anomaly on Excess, Betrayal, it's also damn cool. This one is worth seeking out. ~ John D. Luerssen, Rovi