It's official. As they roar into their 25th year as a label, BYO Records has officially hit juggernaut status with the release of Guilty Pleasures by Edmonton's Wednesday Night Heroes. This is easily the best raw punk album I've heard in a long time, easily jumping into that "best album so far this year" slot.
Every Night Is Like Wednesday
The band adapted the name from a quote by Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, when he said that "it doesn't matter what day of the week it is, because if you really want to let loose, you'll do it without concern for tomorrow." The band not only coined a name from this inspirational mantra, they also coined a philosophy. Wednesday Night Heroes have arrived, and they're here to have a good time.
The band's sound is a mash of raw street punk, old-school UK crust like The Exploited and a heady dose of American hardcore like Minor Threat and Naked Raygun. It's fast and relentless from beginning to end, and the album only gets better as you play it more and louder.
Infected
Their mashup of sounds creates an album composed of pure adrenaline. Hardcore riffs blast ever forward, only to be interrupted by fist-pumping anthemic choruses. It's like they stripped the sounds of several bands down to their basic components and then met in a secret lab to mathematically reconstruct these components into songs only composed of the best elements. The filler was left behind, and each song is perfect, streamlined and powerful.
Continuing with that lab-created metaphor, the sound is as infectious as a designer germ. Choruses stick in your head hours after the last listen, but yet you're never annoyed. Instead, you'll simply find yourself fighting the urge to belt out the record's most memorable choruses. It's probably best if you do fight that urge though, if you give in and shout "Up against the wall... Open Fire" from "Open Fire", while you're at the bank or the post office, you're going to end up in a place that will make it hard to enjoy your Wednesday night.
Guilty Pleasures carries a constant message of street punk unity. The songs are directed toward people who are punk rock and proud of it, regardless of their detractors. While their message can be summed up in the line from "All On The Outside" with the line "when they say street punk is through, just look 'em down and say f**k you", every song maintains this message. It's a great message all around; despite its rawness, there is an underlying eloquence and positivity, reminiscent of Sham 69's ideal on "If The Kids Are United," or most of Operation Ivy's catalog.
The only thing misleading about this album is its title. This is anything but a guilty pleasure. As a fan of punk music and a purveyor of its sound, you will be compelled, even obligated, to play this record loud every time you venture out. The Wednesday Night Heroes have hit the scene, and regardless of the night, they're not going home until they're sure everyone is having a good time.
