Middle Class Trash - Middle Class Trash (Middle Class Trash)

Paducah, KY isn’t exactly known as a bastion of punk rock. Thankfully, nobody told Middle Class Trash. Their music hearkens back to the days of early ’80s hardcore but, while there are definite reference points to bands of that era, MCT retain a sound that is entirely their own. Even more importantly, MCT are obviously extremely talented musicians – something that most punk/hardcore bands these days seem to try overly hard NOT to be for some reason. Hearing them is like a sip of Guinness after a 40 of Old English.

Middle Class Trash opens with the raging “Walk Outside,” which sonically teeters between THE MISFITS and the Canadian Subhumans. While the latter’s influence definitely shines throughout the disc, most of the songs remind me of a less treble-y, dual-guitar CODE OF HONOR, right down to the way guitarist/vocalist ADAM TRASH delivers his vocals. For some reason, I also hear a bit of Oklahoma’s underrated NONE OF THE ABOVE, though that’s more in attitude than music. The bass and drums of WRENCH and NERVOUS JON (respectively) have a particularly MINUTEMEN flavor on tracks like “Americant” and “BFE.” And that dual-guitar onslaught of MIKE MISHAP and Adam Trash provides that full (Canadian) Subhumans sound, which really comes out in “Who Do You Blame?” and “Resist.” UK peace punk band, CONFLICT, also appear to have a strong influence on the band.

Where most punk bands these days fall flat on their faces in cliches and poor musicianship, MCT happily drive over them in an out-of-control Mac truck heading downhill. They are the necessary antidote to a scene full of posing stagnation.