Electronics in punk rock?! Before I heard this band I never thought it would work! Surprisingly, Intro5pect does a pretty amazing job of staying true to their punk roots while not being afraid to experiment with other styles of music.
If you have the latest A-F records sampler, you might recognize the first track "Rights." If you're a true punk fan you might think to yourself "what the hell is this? This isn't what I'm used to hearing!" while listening to the first few seconds of this song. Admittedly, I thought the same thing. But once the guitars and vocals kick in you'll realize why this band is so amazing and unique. "Rights" is really heavy on the synth, and though I really believe after a few listens this song will get stuck in your head, it may not be the best first Intro5pect song for the punk enthusiast. In my opinion, the best songs are "No More Time" and "Rkn.rll" (rock and roll). These songs remind me of classic '77-era punk with the punk politics of the early 80's. There really is something for everybody since no two songs sound exactly alike. For example, "Sustainable Yield" has an intro remniscent of the Exploited, while "Profit Margins" has more of a futuristic electronic feel to it. Some of the best stuff on this record is the random MIDI samples for those who like just a touch of Nintendo music in their punk rock. Don't get me wrong - even if you took the electronics out, this would be a great punk record.
Finally, along with the lyrics, the liner notes have a brief explanation of each song and what they mean to the band. This works out well because the lyrics are not only political, but philosophical; imagine a mixture of Bad Religion and Anti-Flag lyrics. Speaking of Anti-Flag, apparently Justin Sane liked the band so much he helped produce this CD, and you can even hear him help chant some of the backup vocals.
This is an awesome CD and I really wish I would have checked them out sooner. The first time I heard their song on the A-F comp I thought it was okay, but once I borrowed this from a friend a few months back and actually listened to the whole thing, I was hooked. I really think that Intro5pect will be a punk rock household name in the next few years. I urge all of you with open minds to check out this CD and judge for yourselves.