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Avail

One Wrench (2000)
Fat Wreck Chords

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Contributed by: coldjuly
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Published on September 5th 2001

Ahhhh nothing better than some good southern punk rock. Avail are the leading ass kickers in the thriving richmond, virginia punk scene...commnly known as RVA.

When I heard Avail had signed to Fat, I had doubts to tell you the truth. Most of the bands on the label had grown old over the years with the same thing over and over (with the exception of a few.)

I ordered "One Wrench" through the mail a few days after It came out...I was hoping for another "Dixie" because "over the James" had disapointed me a little...what I got wasnt "Dixie" yet something almost as good.

It starts off with a song appropriately titled "fast one" which is over before you know it, but leads into one of my favorite songs "taken", which I had heard on the life in the fat lane comp. but was supposed to be unreleased. Other songs like "leveled", "high lonesome", "invisible", and "union" are just incredible.

This album kinda captures the rawness of their live show...the quality of the CD isnt that good...But that makes me like this album even more....One of the few bands who just make my jaw drop everytime I see them live.

Tim Barry and co. have sure created their own sound...mixing hardcore with somewhat anthemic punk and its all their own. This record has instilled my faith in this band....not quite as good as "dixie" but a close second definitley. makes me proud to be from the south...nah not really.

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nathanw (July 18, 2008)

This is definitely way better than Dixie. It's pretty different. I do like it better though.

Anonymous (April 22, 2003)

I don't understand how alot of reviews i've read about this album say it's their weakest, it's the worst, it's dull, it's boring, etc., yet when reviews for "Front Porch Stories" pop up, people are like "one of the best albums of 2002", "avail at their best", etc. I think "One Wrench" kicks major ass. That's it.
Best Tracks:
Taken
Union
High Lonesome

Anonymous (September 11, 2001)

i don't believe you people that bad mouth "over the james"!! are you all deaf? its probably my fav. avail album. try to find a better rockin' avail song than "5th Wheel". "August" kicks ass as well.

this one is good, not great, falling more into the category of "4am Friday"--some good songs, but not many GREAT ones. still better than 2/3 of the shite Fat puts out though.

--Cos

jheisel (September 8, 2001)

This album is pretty weak.

Although a weak AVAIL album still blows away about 99 percent of anything else out there.

But yeah, One Wrench is definitely the worst. Give me Dixie any day.

Anonymous (September 7, 2001)

is there anything bad to say about avail?

bret
oijoyboy@hotmail.com

Anonymous (September 7, 2001)

this record wasn't one of my favorites of theirs, but this band is just so fucking great.

sickboi (September 7, 2001)

Fuck yeah...RVA-RVA-RVA. Good album but no comparison to classics like "Dixie" and "4am Friday". Great band, some of the coolest guys I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.