Under Review

Childsplay

Righteous Rampage (Independent)

Review by Nathan Pike

Childsplay - Righteous Rampage

Old farts that don’t believe the kids have what it takes to make good punk music can officially choke on their words. The average age of Vancouver’s Childsplay couldn’t be much more than legal drinking age, yet they’re rocking harder and making more accessible punk music than some punkers who have been at it for years.

Righteous Rampage, the band’s second release, is a straight-up traditional no frills punk record, and a huge achievement for a group so young. Raw, raging and in-touch, Childsplay guns their motors and has a whole lifetime ahead to hone their craft.

Vocalist Jaden Faber’s voice is the perfect combination of snot-nosed brat and viciousness that can only get more gruff and compelling with age. The guitar/drum/bass combo is perfectly loud, clean and well executed, but has plenty of room to grow.

With none of Righteous Rampage’s breakneck tunes clocking in at much more two and a half minutes, Childsplay effectively get the job done.

The rapid pace of “Hey!” grabs your attention, while “It’s All Lies” is a perfect grimey romp. The band’s ferocious cover of “Iron Man” is anything but filler.

Smart-assed and wise beyond their years, Childsplay sounds like a band that is refusing to do what they’re told or how to do it. This fresh blood is exactly what the punk scene seems to need right now.