You've got to give Guttermouth credit; they've managed to take their smug, snot-nosed punk rock and make it work for 10 albums that span more than a decade.
Their latest, Shave The Planet is more of what we've come to expect from Guttermouth. It's not PC, it's not socially conscious, and it rides the line between simply immature and patently offensive. That's the world of Guttermouth, though; they are eternally 13, and if that's what you find funny, you'll like this album.
Musically, they pull no punches. The album is packed tight with frenzied punk riffs and nary an acoustic guitar in sight. This is a welcome departure from recent releases by them, but at the same time it's a bit over the top. With few breaks in the speed of their songs, certain tracks can get a bit monotonous.
Lyrically, they don't pull any punches, either; they poke fun at anything they can with a smug look of superiority on their face. This includes, in no particular order, erectile dysfunction, goth kids, homosexuals and overweight people. Sometimes it's witty, often it's in poor taste.
Sometimes They're Witty
To be fair, when these guys are on, they are dead on. Their best-written songs point at the wit and wisdom of the Vandals. "My Chemical Imbalance", has a great nod to Suicidal Tendencies' "Institutionalized" that might be lost on newer fans, but is still pretty fun, and "Primate Camp" slips a bit of goofy new wave sounds with a ska-influenced beat as it talks about Darwin. What it's saying about Darwin is not quite clear, but it's there.
"The 23 Things That Rhyme With Darby Crash" is another great song, a "tribute" of sorts to the late lead singer of the legendary punk band the Germs. It's simply what the title suggests, a little tune that was most-likely hastily written into a fun goofy punk song that rhymes "Crash" with "trash" and "Darby" with (wait for it...), yep, "Arby's".
Sometimes They're Just Mean
"God, Steve McQueen The Work Song" is one of the best tracks on the album, and one of those songs that forces you to try to figure out whether you love Guttermouth or hate them. It's a great-sounding punk anthem that makes fun of oi and blue-collar punk even as it replicates its sound.
By the end of Shave The Planet, you'll recognize Guttermouth as that one kid you used to know: he was smug and cocky, with a really smart mouth. Sometimes you thought he was hilarious, and sometimes simply mean-spirited. Then, there were also those times you simply wanted to smack that smirk right off his face. Guttermouth is that kid, and they always will be.
