When you grow up in California during the ’90s, it’s pretty easy to expect Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph Records to have a major influence on you if you start a punk band. Originally forming in 2000, SoCal melodic skate punk band Chaser is now officially old enough to drink. To celebrate, they just released an amazing new single called “A New Direction.”
Even though the punk scene is vastly different now than it was when the folks in Chaser were growing up, that spirit of yesteryear is alive and well. At any given point in one of their songs, you’ll get hints of Bad Religion, Pennywise, and even No Use For a Name. If you love melodic punk, anthemic choruses, and songs that are filled with meaning, it’s time to look Chaser up.
To help us learn a little about what makes Chaser tick, guitar player Bill Hockmuth shared his favorite, most overrated, and most underrated albums.
Favorite Album
“Bad Religion, No Control. Wow, that’s really hard. It’s just such an important album in the evolution of not just punk music but rock music in general. No one else was really writing and playing songs like that in 1989. The melodic aggression meshed with heady lyrics and insane vocabulary. The songs on this record still hold up today. It’s pretty much perfect in my opinion.”
Overrated Album
“Metallica, Black Album. It’s obviously one of the biggest rock albums of all time, and as a fan of the band, I wanted to love it but it was just too slow and bloated. Didn’t really like the guitar tone, and just didn’t have the raw power of the earlier releases. Not that there weren’t a few highlights here and there, but just crazy overrated record given its ridiculous success.”
Underrated Album
“Helmet, Betty. This album is seriously under appreciated, but if you know, you know. Incredible musicianship and the songs to match. Some of the best drumming you’ll ever hear. The grooves are untouchable. I still listen to this record on the regular and always notice something different when I do.
