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Closet Monster

Killed The Radio Star (2002)
Underground Operations

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: Adam
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on December 3rd 2002

Closet Monster is a fun, passionate young band out of Ajax Ontario that should turn a few heads with their new full length “Killed The Radio Star.” To me, the band somewhat represents the generation where the influence of contemporary acts like Dillinger Four and Anti-Flag is really starting to show. Furthermore this whole album, right down to the artwork and liner notes, simply screams effort. The band put a lot into this release.

Closet Monster employs dual vocalists, one in the pop-punk range and one far more in the post-hardcore vein. They play busy, frantic punk with plenty of pop structure but just enough grit to keep it grounded. It’s a style that’s similar to Dillinger Four in a lot of ways.

The band rips through a dozen tracks of highly politicized punk that lyrically wouldn’t seem out of place on a Propagandhi or Anti-Flag record. To their credit, and the ultimate benefit of the album, they inject a good amount of sarcasm and wit into all the rhetoric on here. “Rhetoric” may be a good choice of words too: even though I agree with a lot of the band’s politics, they lack anything close to subtly. That’s where Closet Monster parts ways with ideologically similar bands like the Clash or Dillinger Four, both were/are politically active in their lyrics but didn’t have to hit you over the head with it.

The best tracks on the album feature frenzied interchanges between the two vocalists and playful-yet-political lyricism. “Sexism Is Real: Wrestling Is Not” and “Corporate Media Death Squad” are both catchy tracks that show off these qualities. The single “Mr. Holland Vs. Acceptable Behaviour” is a riotous blast of 80s-style skate punk. Not everything the band tries is as effective as it should be, but when they reach the right balance between all their influences it works very well.

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Anonymous (April 6, 2005)

closet monster are the best i love closet monster and jesse colburn he is really sweet i hope closet monster play in germany i like you boys your fan anka

Anonymous (March 19, 2005)

Closet Monster is my favorite band.I love them.I love Jesse Colburn.He's my boyfriend.Oh yeah!!!

Anonymous (March 19, 2005)

Closet Monster is my favorite band.I love them.I love Jesse Colburn.He's my boyfriend.Oh yeah!!!

Analog_Boy (August 4, 2003)

Yes, I must say that if your really going to make a meaningful comment on this alblum then you got to download some of the songs off of this, instead of 'a fight for what is right' or whatever the hell it was. My friend had that awhile ago and I remember liking it. It was fast pop-punk before pop-punk was poppy.. or something. Anywho, some great tracks off this one would be the The Anti-Racist Sing-along, Corporate Media Deathsquad, Mr Holland vs Acceptable Behavior, Battlecry for a better world or smells like a revolutionary spirit. Which most were mentioned in the review. Oh well, I would say to check out some of these songs. The voices still sound a little poppy but it kicks ass in my opinion. It also makes a little more reasonable comparison to d4.

Anonymous (February 11, 2003)

This is one of the most anthemic records I've ever heard. And yes the old stuff sucks.
However, this album takes what these guys definitley believe in and sets it to some of the most intense melodies I've ever heard.

Anonymous (January 8, 2003)

I think this cd is far more for most to comprehend on the political scale. I think that they potray what they feel well, and they see the truths in the world around us. I've had the pleasure of meeting these guys and they are a very enlightened group. They mean what they sing, and stand for what they believe. They play really good live. Props to closet moster.

Anonymous (December 31, 2002)

i thought video killed the radio star?

at least that's what the buggles told me...

anyway, i will go out of my way to check out any band who is in anyway connected with avril lavigne.

-REEKO

Anonymous (December 9, 2002)

Their old stuff sucked (they were playing shitty pop punk before it was cool and available at the mall). Thats the only shit really available for download on those "rip punk band off instead of metalica kaaza systems". and the only reason that its infected all the download systems so heavily is cause of d.i.y. touring across canada and the states four or five times before "avril". Five or six years is not a young punk band. They just got really good in the last couple years.

Anonymous (December 8, 2002)

Never heard of them and don't want to listen to them. Apparently some of them sold out to play with (of anyone) Avril Lavigne

Anonymous (December 6, 2002)

Try one of the songs that is actually on this album-it is *way* better then anything they've put out before. I think The Great Mall Explosion is on their webpage and the Anti-Rascist Sing-Along is on the underground operations page. Both are on the new album and worth checking out.

Anonymous (December 6, 2002)

I really don't see how this band sounds anything like d4 at all. But it does make it a lot funnier after seeing d4 make fun of the avril band for having d4 stickers.

GregSka (December 6, 2002)

Friday Night is my fav song by them. You have to realize that most of those songs were recorded before pop-punk and emo became huge money making trends, the only thing that really influences their music is punk rock (which is the way I like it). The recording is kinda bad but the songs really kick ass and those guys put on a good show

evildeadalive (December 6, 2002)

uhh... minus one of those 'a chance's...

evildeadalive (December 6, 2002)

The songs I downloaded were: Friday Night (one of the worst songs I have ever heard), Heart Strings (ok I guess, nothing I would ever go out of my way to listen to), One Word (sounds like it belongs on Blink 182's Cheshire Cat), My Life (Probably the best song I downloaded of theirs, but it still sounds like Not By Choice trying to play a punk song), Not My Concern (the ska parts alright, but the rest of the song is just annoying, especially their voices. One guy sounds like he's trying to be the dude from Fifteen), and Dearest Asshole (this song is just fucking weak). Overall I just found this band, like I said, lacking in balls. Not my cup of tea. Maybe someone could reccomend some of their more D4 like songs? I had never heard these guy before 3 days ago or whatever, and am willing to give any band a chance with D4 comparisons a chance.
Please, prove me wrong.

Anonymous (December 6, 2002)

they're not new i've known about them and have been listening to them for six years so longer then that even.. and they were closet monster before avril came around--not exmemebers for avril-- two of them played with her, one has left her and since rejoined closetmonster on a fulltime basis

shindo (December 5, 2002)

Young as in "relatively unknown and early in their career"

Anonymous (December 5, 2002)

also. they aren't a young band.

Anonymous (December 5, 2002)

the older album doesn't have the greatest recording... this full length is definately their best stuff. if you go to notion.ca they haev a video up there...

to the person who says they lack emotion or whatnot. that is totally not true. i dont know what you downloaded but if you knew the people or saw them live you definately wouldn't think that.

layawayplan (December 5, 2002)

no
i was just a big fan of theirs...and everything smallman put out.
Not my favourite band, i like the name though.

Anonymous (December 5, 2002)

This cd rocks!!! This band just keeps getting better and better. Great trade off vocals, aggressive musicianship all makes for one hell of a live show. This release blows everything else they've ever done right out of the fucking water.......if your a fan of D4 than you will not be dissapointed. Although that wussy emo kid will hate this.

Anonymous (December 4, 2002)

Hey layawayplan, are you in the band "layaway plan"?

layawayplan (December 4, 2002)

saw them open for propagandhi back in April/01 at the Trash in Guelph, and I was really impressed. They put on a great live show and reminded me a lot of D4 (musically...I've yet to see D4 live). However, I picked up their album "a fight for what's right" and was really disappointed with it. Very weak recording, whiny vocals, and overall boring songs. I'm skeptical about this album, but I would pay to see them live again.

shindo (December 4, 2002)

evildead: I just fixed the AAA review. As for the D4 comparison, its more of a vocal similarity the bands show on this album. I'm not really familiar with what their older stuff was like though, so I don't know what song you DL'd.

evildeadalive (December 4, 2002)

Wow. Downloaded some of their music, and I gotta say it really sucks. Are we listening to the same band? Egad. They sound worse than Not By Choice. Completely lacking in any emotion whatsoever. For a lack of anything else to say, they've got no balls. It's just missing something. Comparisons to D4 are way off base. Very way.

evildeadalive (December 4, 2002)

Totally off topic Adam, but while you're in the fixing mood, the Against All Authority review from like a year ago is still listed as 24 Hour Roadside Assistance, when it should be 24 Hour Roadside Resistance. Uh, yeah...

shindo (December 4, 2002)

Greg: Woah you're right. Sorry. Fixed it. I'm a moron.

adam

GregSka (December 4, 2002)

What the fuck, this isn't their debut full length! I saw these guys in my town a few years ago, they're really the best pop punk band I've ever seen, and not in that candy-ass new found glory kind of way

maverick (December 3, 2002)

I chuckled.

-Scott