Listen to 1208 and you’ll feel the punk flowing through your veins. To be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard a new melodic hardcore band that’s remained so true to the pure teenage angst that is the father of one of punk-rock’s greatest sub genres. Coming from a region of punk with a plethora of trendy anti-establishment bands, 1208 is a rejuvenating blast of angry guitars and vintage punk-rock vocals.
The band hails from California’s South Bay, a region that has spawned classic punk bands such as Pennywise, and The Descendents. This area is a punk rock incubator with a strong local scene across Southern California, and it is the South Bay roots that brought the band on tour in support of their first Epitaph release Feedback is Payback.
Every track on this disc receives a healthy adrenaline injection–every song represents why melodic hardcore is around in the first place. The disc contains exceptional tracks like “Erase em all,” one of the angrier, driving songs on the album. There are also songs like “Lies that lie,” that are excellent guitar driven tracks. The vocals tie everything together perfectly with a whiney, classic punk rock sound, and much care is taken to ensure that the vocal harmonies are not excessive (a typical fault in this genre). The bottom line, this release will translate into excellent concert material. One of the new faces on the national scene, 1208 is sure to get the show started on an excellent note.