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Sugarcult

Start Static
2001
Artemis

Sugarcult - Start Static (Cover Artwork)

Review by: Eddie
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Sugarcult.com (link)

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Published on July 19th 2002

Sugarcult: Vocals like Lit, lyrics like Good Charlotte, and a poppy feel like New Found Glory. Even though Sugarcult is very similar to these and other bands, I think they are one of the more unique bands of the recent pop-punk explosion.

Two things caught my ear the most when I first listened to this CD: the vocals, and the guitars. While lead singer Tim Pagnotta has a voice similar to Lit's A.Jay Popoff, his is more punk rock-sounding, and he includes a lot of stretched out vocals and half-screams in the songs. As for the guitars, the band seems to mix in rough, lighter guitars (almost acoustic sounding) covered with loud, sharp and piercing electric guitars.

But the best thing here is just the songs. Lots of great speedy and catchy pop-punk music, like "Stuck in America," "Bouncing Off the Walls," "You're the One," "Saying Goodbye," "Daddy's Little Defect," and "How Does it Feel." They also have slower ballad-like songs, too, like "Pretty Girl (The Way)," and "Crashing Down." And though the disc loses some momentum during the second half, all the songs are superbly done.

This is definitely a must-have for pop-punk fans. Just listen to "Bouncing Off the Walls," "Saying Goodbye," or "Daddy's Little Defect" a few times, and see if you get them stuck in your head or not.

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Posted by peteisprettyinpink182 on 2005-11-08 19:44:32
My Score:

This CD is a masterpiece I don't know what happened with Palm Trees and Power Lines(good cd but i expected more) but yeah the lyrics and music is great and Tim's hot and their good live so overall their one of the best

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 20, 2004 at 11:49 PM (EST)
My Score:

sugarcult sounds fucking awesome live. i saw them last night. you assholes who say they dont sound good live dont know shit.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 3, 2004 at 1:32 PM (EST)
My Score:

I personally love this cd, and the new one, and sugarcult. I have no clue what you guys are talking about how they suck live...I saw them open up for green day and they were awesome, really really really good. I dont know what you guys are talking about. Oh well, I like them, too bad you guys dont

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 9:56 PM (EDT)
My Score:

there are a few things that piss me off:
1. sublime isnt around anymore
2. everybody complains that new music sucks. if you feel that way then come up with something yourself that will supposedly start a revolution and then see how many people say "it sucks".
3. people are just fucking conformists. they dis a band thats not very popular until they hit the big time and then praise them. (good charlotte being the exception cuz they were good before they were famous)
4. my balls itch
6. i couldnt go to the sugarcult concert
7. i forgot 5

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 28, 2004 at 5:44 PM (EST)
My Score:

the guitars may be good on the album, but when I saw them live, they didn't play the solos and were subpar. It's an average cd.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 31, 2003 at 5:54 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I like this CD, the lyrics can kind of suck sometimes, but the riffs are sweet.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 11:18 PM (EDT)
My Score:

good stuffo from pop punkers

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 28, 2003 at 7:17 PM (EST)
My Score:

SUGARCULT ROCKS!
They're damn talented, and if you don't like their sound then who gives a fuk? Everyone has different tastes.. there's no need to be immature about those you dont like

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, August 23, 2002 at 11:54 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Sugarcult eats a fat reeming ass. I dont care if i cant spell, it doesnt matter. This is the fucking internet. I saw them open up for Less Than Jake, and i have to say i almost shit on this guys face. The drummer has a fucking mohawk. This band is gay and they sound like american hifi. That in itself is a cardinal sin.

Word

Posted by Sheena on 2002-07-26 14:57:53
My Score:

Poor Sugarcult, the first time I heard them was last summer and I thought "these guys aren't so bad" but hello, I couldnt be more sick of listening to any other band than this one. They rule the air waves in San Diego, and frankly, it's annoying. And for that, I dont like them.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 2:49 AM (EDT)
My Score:

wow they suck ass

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 11:21 PM (EDT)
My Score:

pop punk can eat it

you people need to listen to more grind

Posted by cawknocker on 2002-07-22 11:42:59
My Score:

oh so sorry i mispelled ramones too. fuckin purists i mispell all kinds of shit. so what , u knew what i meant. u guys get this mob mentality that as soon as someone bashes someones post everyone jumps on. fuck off. i mispell a word and have an opinion on taking back sunday. everyone hate me.

Posted by cawknocker on 2002-07-22 11:38:34
My Score:

wow, its me again. funny. well dickface i do have the new strung out album and yes it does kick ass although it is no twisted by design...or stwb. anyway i'm not one of those posthardcoreemo kids or whatever. i'm 22 and listen to fat wreck stuff, and a shitloaed of other bands. and lots of mainstream stuff too. i still think TBS is awesome, and actually to the other dude, they compare themselves to jimmy eat world and at the drive in in their interview at punkbands.com. also, tbs got started the same time thursday did, thursday just got signed first. don't fuckin label me as some fuckin emocore kid just cuz i think tbs kick ass, and assume i must not like sturng out then. just like if i said i like newfoundglory i must not know shit about punk, or i'm new to the scene. i have my head up my ass? whatever. and sugarcult are still just average.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:58 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I just listened to this cd again and I have to say I was wrong before. It isnt as bad as I thought it was. I will admit some of the songs are really poppy and everything but I like that kind of stuff sometimes. Daddy's Little Defect is a great song... stupid title. I will listen to this cd more but skip over that last track... HIDEOOUS!-pat41

Posted by tgarn on 2002-07-22 01:15:23
My Score:

Everyone has opinions, so get off the guys back who said they thought tbs was the best album of the year, it is definitly one of my favorites. And I thought the new strung out was not anything special, I own all their previous releases but I wont buy this one.

Posted by waste_elite on 2002-07-21 23:51:32
My Score:

the "romoans"?!?

what the fuck...

Posted by waste_elite on 2002-07-21 23:46:46
My Score:

how to decipher eddie's reviews:

1. take the rating he gives an album
2. subtract that from 10
3. the difference is the accurate score

Posted by evildeadalive on 2002-07-21 21:37:43
My Score:

I've never even heard of the Ramoans. Are they a Ramones cover band?

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 7:10 PM (EDT)
My Score:

To the half-ass who said Taking Back Sunday released the "album of the year" obviously
A. Had his head up his ass all year.
B. Only bought one record (TBS) all year.
C. Didn't hear the newest Strung Out album.

Fuck him and his poppunkemoscenecoreshit. Have a nice life.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 3:49 PM (EDT)
My Score:

"i love the romoans!"

wow....thats just....beautiful

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 12:14 AM (EDT)
My Score:

"Just read the sticker on the TBS cd "fans of Dashboard Confessional. Jimmy Eat World and Thursday"..."
to the guy who said this... this is victory(their record label) way of trying to get fans to listen to this. it has nothing to do with taking back sunday or their songwriting. i personally dont think even they would say they sound like jimmy eat world or dashboard.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 19, 2002 at 6:14 PM (EDT)
My Score:

i love the romoans! no this bland "pop" punk or as most call it "emo" is getting old and worn out, and as for TBS, they are alright i just wished that not EVERY FUCKING BAND didn't sound like a mix of saves the day and thursday, i mean fuck why does everyone have to sound like saves the day. and as for led zepplin fuck them.
Rob
mp3.com/halfway_decent

Posted by emptycauses on 2002-07-19 15:41:37
My Score:

i dont know how u can even begin to give this cd a 9, they are like everything else

Posted by cawknocker on 2002-07-19 12:45:25
My Score:

yea this album is about average. the reviewer is right on w/ the lit comparison, its the first comparison i made when i heard the album. some songs are top notch if u dig the current drive thru pop punk stuff and the like. 'stuck in america' is solid, but the lyrics mostly suck entirely, its unoriginal and too much filler (hate every beutiful day, the way or whatever that song is called, the last track is horrible too).bouncing off the walls is about coke which is one redeeming quality cuz coke is pretty fun (just ask matt skiba!). and to the fuck who put down TBS, fuck you, TBS are amazing, the best album of this year in my opinion so far (so they sound like thursday and saves the day, so what, everyone sounds like a blend of other bands). dashboard may be getin hokey and overplayed, but jimmyeatworld and thursday are still great bands no matter how much they get thrust into the mainstream. dont' forget the clash, the romoans, led zepplin, poison (yea!) were all mainstream and on major labels.

Posted by evildeadalive on 2002-07-19 12:21:36
My Score:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; leave it to Eddie to review everything that is wrong with punk rock today.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 19, 2002 at 11:39 AM (EDT)
My Score:

This band is what's wrong with punk.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 19, 2002 at 11:10 AM (EDT)
My Score:

"...more worthwhile like Taking Back Sunday"

and with this comment everything you said becomes meaningless.

At least Sugarcult is not trying to clone all the "hip" sounds. Just read the sticker on the TBS cd "fans of Dashboard Confessional. Jimmy Eat World and Thursday"...

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 19, 2002 at 10:14 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Let the Sugarcult sucks comments begin. I like some of the songs but nothing on this cd is great. Definitley does NOT deserve a 9 or whatever you gave it. Definitley only a 4 or 5. Stuck in America is good, Daddy's Little Defect is good, Bouncin Off the Walls is ok. I cant really think of any others that I really like that much. This is not a must have for anybody, this is a if you have the money or if your friend has it burn it type of cd for pop-punk fans only. But first check out something more worthwhile like Taking Back Sunday.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 19, 2002 at 9:26 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Yeah, this is pretty bad.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 19, 2002 at 5:05 AM (EDT)
My Score:

Poopity Poop Poop