A ton of fairly boring and rehashed skatepunk albums still come in through to Punknews, believe it or not. (I guess that's not that far-fetched.) So it's nice to have Brighton, UK's From Plan to Progress and their sophomore full-length, Ink Stains & Incidents which, despite its ca. 2003 title (remember when every pop-punk band titled their record Noun & Noun?), is a pretty refreshing release given its subgenre's usual limitations. Because seriously, even getting a decent release is a stretch these days.

Although opener "Product of the Past" sounds like it's biting riffs from some Anti-Flag song ("911 for Peace", or something) at first, it picks up with some more technical instrumentation and the tempo changes make it more interesting. It's a fair preview of what's to come: some generic moments interspersed into an otherwise pretty cool melodic punk track.

The band definitely carries a dark tone throughout the album, but coupled with the fact they don't always stick to typical skatepunk pacing, it keeps things fresh. It seems like there's a modest hook embedded in every track when the record first begins, and though that feeling fades after a while, it's an impressive start. Other standouts include "MMV", the half-time chorus in "Audi Alteram Partem", the flangey guitars in "Functional Malfunctions Functioning Functions", the Strung Out-esque shredding in "The Acceptance of Fate" and the almost-epic buildup to kick off closer "Curtain Call".

One thing, however: Ink Stains & Incidents is 17 tracks and almost 47 minutes long, and while it's relatively ambitious and creative, there's not enough of those daring motions–vocals are pretty one-dimensional; production is punchy, but not very dynamic–to make it such a compelling effort for that running time. Especially for its style.

Still, from artwork to sound to execution, this is well-done skatepunk that doesn't rehash needlessly or bore entirely. From Plan to Progress named their band right.

STREAM
Product of the Past
Departed
Audi Alteram Partem
No Need for Transparency
Curtain Call

VIDEO