Piss Ant - Piss Off (2001)

Attitude is what punk rock is all about, and this mix of metal with punk leanings is a first-rate offering from the Los Angeles quartet known as Piss Ant. "Hot Pants" is rather labored, and a strange way to open the disc. It's followed by the riff-laden "Bloodline," another album track that might have been better served further down the list. In it, lead singer Josi Kat and company employ some of the vocals that made the Runaways a treat. But the showstoppers here -- and where the album really begins -- are "Sex Junkie," "Pain Medicine," and "Superchick." "Sex Junkie" is a magnetic high-school football chant which, even in this liberal age, might have problems with airplay on mainstream radio. Appropriate for Howard Stern, "Sex Junkie" lifts things up after the Bo Diddley riff which underlines "Send Us Your Gods." "Sex Junkie" has some blazing guitar alongside the irreverent vocal; the drums drive a little better here too, making this as solid a statement as the New York Dolls made with their classic song "Trash." "Pain Medicine" continues the mayhem, the album kicking into a higher gear, featuring a nice bassy riff with the double-entendre S&M/druggy lyric "I need/PAIN/medicine." The band seems to play tighter as the tunes progress, almost like a gig -- "Give me" "One More Reason" "to hate you" continues the fun with another cheerleader rant in an angst-filled ode to a broken relationship. From here on out it is sheer fun, "Superchick" is a truncated salute to some alien goddess while "When I Die" might be the find of the album -- "I wanna be a legend/I wanna be like Marilyn Monroe, Morrison, Hendrix, Joplin too/Jimmy Dean and that guy from Queen" -- lyrics belted out over Iggy Pop's "I Wanna Be Your Dog" riff, grunged up with cool backing vocals and liquid guitar. "Murder Highway" and "Turn to Hate" are throbbing and negative, mini-riffs drive "Turn to Hate" while a quick chorus makes "Murder Highway" memorable. What the album Piss Off is is a collection of short pop songs that have tongue firmly in cheek with enough rock & roll seriousness to pull it off. The moody "Victoria," not the fabulous Kinks tune of the same name, ends the CD. It is the most musical piece on a collection which is brimming with creativity and pulls no punches.