Orange County punk rock legends, D.I, are back with On the Western Front – a hard-hitting album with often-dark social commentary. Eleven of the album’s 12 tracks were written by bassist Eddie Tatar and vocalist (and only original/constant member) Casey Royer with many of the songs lamenting the state of Orange County.
Royer sings, “Your rights are gone in California. We’re all suspect,” in the intense, yet melodic title track (Listen/Download). The song serves as a wake-up call to those living in California and rings true in this age of illegal wiretapping. Similarly, Boyer refers to Orange County as the “Slum of the Future” in “OC’s Burning” – a song where he vows to take Orange County back (Listen/Download).
“PCH” deals with all the things Boyer hates, including: suicide, crime, poverty and spies. Not taking himself too seriously though, he adds the line, “I even hate this song.” (Listen/Download)
Not all the tracks are about the state of Orange County, however. “Punk Rock Suicide” pays a poignant tribute to punk’s fallen heroes pointing out that while no one lives forever, their music does (Listen/Download). The slamming 51-second “Skate or Die” could serve as the new anthem for the skate punk scene with its in-your-face music and lyrics (Listen/Download).
Tatar’s nimble bass lines, along with his brother Joe’s powerful drumming make for a rock solid rhythm section, while CHCKN and Clinton Calton form a fierce guitar team. With the musically and lyrically solid On the Western Front, D.I. proves that old punks can still have something to say. Release Date: July 31, 2007
