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Many an awful band have had a geographical location in their name. It’s not hard to look back and see just how bad some of these bands have been. Europe, for instance; anyone remember Europe and “The Final Countdown?” I still shudder to this day when I hear the synth lines in that song. Efforts from America, Asia, Boston, and Chicago as far as I’m concerned, really aren’t held in much higher regard. Possibly most annoying of the lot is Kansas, and their most well-known single, “Dust In The Wind,” which is rousingly covered by Eight Fingers Down on their album The Joy Of Complication.

Chances are, you’ve heard this album before. You’ve heard it done by Face To Face, by Ten Foot Pole, and by the 47 other bands you and I could both rattle off with that same familiar sound. This album is just like when for Christmas when you distinctly told your parents that your wanted NHL 96 for the Sega Genesis, but instead you unwrap that paper December 25th to disappointingly find NHL 95. Sure, it’s a decent substitute, but if there’s better out there, why should you have to settle for a substitute at all? I hate to refer to this as merely a substitute, but aside from that cover of “Dust In The Wind,” the chords, melodies, and lyrics manufactured by Eight Fingers Down sound just that: manufactured.

Maybe I’m not being fair here; maybe this band isn’t Pavel Bure in the prime of his career, but like Trevor Linden on that very same Canucks team of old; there’s hard work and excellent energy to be found in the confines of this disc. The heart of any mid-tempo punk band such as this is their energy; nobody wants to see some lethargic twentysomethings lazily strumming and barely singing, but this album gives sharp inclinations that this is a pretty energetic band. With that energy comes some snotty but infectious vocals, some interesting riffs, and good pace kept by the drummer. “White Light In A Waiting Room” has some great interplay between bass and percussion, and some more speed is infused than is shown in a lot of other places on the album. The members of the band work well together, and granted it’s not the most challenging material for cooperation, but regardless the cohesiveness bodes well for the record. inclinations The band's cover of “Dust In The Wind” is definitely worth a listen, and though I found the original version of the song to be pretty boring, this new take on it, simple as it may be, is oddly compelling in its own right.

There’s just not too much new ground to be tread in this style of music. For what it is, you can’t knock the individual musicians' level of skills, or ability to write decent songs, but that’s just not enough for most people anymore. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s about time to get back to playing NHL 95. Bastards.






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    Posted by thomas7155 on 2007-08-30 09:04:27

    i saw these guys on the Rise Against DVD. i think i'll pick this up.

    Posted by clamum on 2007-03-10 19:54:20

    LOL @ the tool posting his classic rock bands. Journey... hahaha yeah real fuckin good stuff there.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 1:42 PM (EDT)

    mmm...years ago when you were much smaller you ran into me in santa barbara...i was in a rush and kinda rude and felt like i blew you off...and for all this time i have been looking for some of your music but to no avail...but now i found it! i still have the sticker that you gave me, by the way. congratulaions. much love

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 31, 2005 at 10:04 PM (EDT)

    hey guys i just got your cd today and i love it mike u probly dont remember me and my friend but we helped out in detriot your great and so is your band. thanx for the passes we met tonz of people thanx tonz and ill tell all my friends about u guys !!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 9:59 PM (EDT)

    this guy shoulda worked for Electronic Gaming Monthly. You gotta serious case of A.D.D. my friend. we are reviewing a record here, not playing video games. i too heard this band on myspace and am glad that they are playing 90's style punk. i think that sound faded to quickly. it's almost like a breath of fresh air. if any of you went to warped tour this year, you probably noticed that on all nine or ten stages that almost every band sounded the same. with the so-called underground stockpiled with screamo post hardcore, and the mainstream badly rehashing the eighties, i'd say eight fingers down is anything but everything out there. so to the dude who reviewed this album, pull your head out of your sega genesis and start actually listening to the records that are sent to you!!!!!!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 10, 2005 at 7:02 PM (EDT)

    fuck pavel bure, trevor linden is the man.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 9, 2005 at 8:01 AM (EDT)

    Somebody's reppin' Pink Floyd on PUNKnews.org? Sleigh bells are chiming in hell tonight.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 7, 2005 at 2:13 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    shitty review

    Posted by rkl on 2005-07-07 10:29:15

    Eight Fingers Down - The Joy Of Complication
    Posted by Anonymous on 2005-07-05 08:47:36

    Classic rock...here we go:
    1. Boston
    2. Foreigner
    3. Styx
    4. MC5
    5. Pink floyd
    6. Kansas
    7. Blue oyster cult
    8. Journey
    9. 38 special
    10. Molly Fuckin Hatchet

    If you can't praise that...do the world a favor and stick a .44 in your pathetic fuckin mouth.

    ----Travis

    _________________________________________ _____
    wayne kramer would probably jam a 12-guage in your mouth for lumping his band in with the rest of that corporate rock slop.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, July 6, 2005 at 3:43 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    score for Mutant League Hockey

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 6:40 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    but can they play the ultimate song, Boston's More than a Feeling?

    Posted by SilentStorms on 2005-07-05 17:34:56

    NHL '95 for Sega CD = Greatest fucking game ever.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 5:26 PM (EDT)

    boston (the band) ruled. no doubt about it.

    i actually thought nhl 95 was pretty badass. NJ devils bitch. brodeur, neidermayer, stevens etc etc.

    though i am a minnesotan, i would never play as the DALLAS stars, simply because selling the fuckers from MN after a stanley cup appearance was just too harsh. man that pissed people off.

    nowadays, ive actually come to enjoy the espn hockey series more than EA. gary thorne and bill clement calling the game? awesome! no disrespect to jim hughson though. "STICK SAVE...by bro-deurrrrr!* i could quote that shit all day.

    wait, what website am i on again?

    ---------------------------------------
    Yeah, I'm the guy who liked Bure, but not the Canucks....I'm actually from Minnesota too. That's why the Stars were my favorite team. The game wasn't about the politics though, it was about the hockey. Besides, at least we have the Wild now

    Posted by kirbypuckett on 2005-07-05 16:38:56

    NHL 98 was HORRIBLE.

    I loved that game.

    I forget who I was playing against, but I *think* Cujo was the goali and I was the mighty Penguins.

    Anyways...

    I'm on a breakaway and I think I hit pass instead of shoot and the puck is just sliding towards the net. Cujo, jumps over the puck and sorta dives at me as the puck slowly slides into the net.

    ---

    Second favorite '98 memory, was when I checked a ref. into the glass and it shattered all over Wayne Gretzky's wive.

    - Kirby

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 4:11 PM (EDT)

    NHL 98 was HORRIBLE.

    Posted by Anchors on 2005-07-05 15:50:08

    Essentially, yes.

    Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2005-07-05 15:47:06

    So does this sound like Epitaph could've released it in 1992?

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 3:30 PM (EDT)

    Three words: Blades Of Steel

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 3:29 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    wow, i didn't know punknews gave less than 4 stars on anything!!!

    Posted by Anchors on 2005-07-05 13:46:02

    Oh and Gary Thorne and Bill Clement are absolutely the best announcers in hockey. I love those guys.

    Posted by Anchors on 2005-07-05 13:45:22

    I always loved the NHL series.

    This year I got NHL 2k5, and that game is fucking boss. The franchise mode is great, and if they had intergrated the ESPN license into as much as they did with NFL 2k5, if very well could have been the best hockey game ever made.

    Posted by recordings on 2005-07-05 12:42:37

    boston (the band) ruled. no doubt about it.

    i actually thought nhl 95 was pretty badass. NJ devils bitch. brodeur, neidermayer, stevens etc etc.

    though i am a minnesotan, i would never play as the DALLAS stars, simply because selling the fuckers from MN after a stanley cup appearance was just too harsh. man that pissed people off.

    nowadays, ive actually come to enjoy the espn hockey series more than EA. gary thorne and bill clement calling the game? awesome! no disrespect to jim hughson though. "STICK SAVE...by bro-deurrrrr!* i could quote that shit all day.

    wait, what website am i on again?

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 11:51 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Hooray for references to one of the greatest sports games ever. Countless hours of my youth were spent playing that game. The Canucks sucked though. I was usually the Stars and traded for Bure. Bure, Modano, Federov on the line with Hatcher and Chelios for defensemen and Eddie the Eagle in the net. Ah.. memories.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 11:16 AM (EDT)

    More like joy of constipation haha poo joke.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 10:23 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    "Final Countdown is, perhaps, the defining song of our civilization. I truly believe that once they completed recording that song, a ceiling had been established that all artists could aspire to reach, but never even dream of breaking. Should we ever shoot another probe into space with samples of our culture on it, it damn well better play "Final Countdown" upon opening."

    Score is for your comment.

    Posted by Bosco on 2005-07-05 10:16:39

    Final Countdown is, perhaps, the defining song of our civilization. I truly believe that once they completed recording that song, a ceiling had been established that all artists could aspire to reach, but never even dream of breaking. Should we ever shoot another probe into space with samples of our culture on it, it damn well better play "Final Countdown" upon opening.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 9:48 AM (EDT)

    Europe: top continent, highly entertaining band.
    America: mostly cool continent, shit band.
    Asia: slightly less cool continent, slightly more shit band.
    Boston:great city, just about acceptable band.
    Chicago: decent city, terrible band.
    Kansas: horrible place, horrible band.

    Posted by Ignitedude on 2005-07-05 09:14:53
    My Score:

    Blah

    This review sucks... i meen comon your reviewing a band here not videos games and old skool rock music.

    Anyhow after hearing this band on myspace there pretty good.
    vocalist sounds a lot like the dude from 30 foot Fall and musically its got that mid 90's Socal sound which i still love.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 8:47 AM (EDT)

    Classic rock...here we go:
    1. Boston
    2. Foreigner
    3. Styx
    4. MC5
    5. Pink floyd
    6. Kansas
    7. Blue oyster cult
    8. Journey
    9. 38 special
    10. Molly Fuckin Hatchet

    If you can't praise that...do the world a favor and stick a .44 in your pathetic fuckin mouth.

    ----Travis

    Posted by Scolex on 2005-07-05 06:38:31

    Indeed.

    Did I miss a meeting where it was decided that late-70s/early-80s AOR shit pedalled out for truck drivers and their wives was suddenly re-classified as "great"?

    Posted by ElVaquero on 2005-07-05 03:21:20

    Wow, I had no idea that not liking classic rock could be considered as anything but completely commendable.

    Posted by Anchors on 2005-07-05 03:07:35

    "You've got to be fucking kidding me? Boston, Kansas, and Chicago are shit? Fuck kid, grow up and listen to some music that wasn't put out since 1995..."

    If you're going to make a comment like that, make sure you've got something to back it up.

    Some of the music I enjoy most is from the 50's and early 60's. Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Ritchie Valens, and so on. I listen to tons, and tons of artists from every decade since the inception of rock itself, the fact that I don't like any of those bands has nothing to do with time period.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 2:39 AM (EDT)

    haha, I love how the punknews.org staff is some of the most ignorant, close-minded fuck-ups to review music on the web today. Thus continues the steady decline of what once was a reputable and knowledgable source for music news

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 2:37 AM (EDT)

    You've got to be fucking kidding me? Boston, Kansas, and Chicago are shit? Fuck kid, grow up and listen to some music that wasn't put out since 1995...

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at 12:52 AM (EDT)

    I used to know some guys who were in a band called Eight Fingers Down. It wasn't this band.

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