Who would have thought that in an era filled with musical homogeny (especially in the world of rock), one band known as The Cooters would throw every stereotype about punk out of the window?
Hailing from Oxford, The Cooters have been a force to be reckoned with since 1994, spreading their fabulous version of rock across the state and beyond.
On their third album, “Punk Metal,” The Cooters present just that — punk-influenced metal which transcends any genre.
Their inspired endeavor into uncharted musical frontiers paves the way for potential settlement by aspiring punk rockers.
Providing solid musicianship and a hard-core attitude, while not taking themselves too seriously, this trio takes a giant leap forward into the future of rock and roll with their latest effort.
Perhaps the only thing that detracts from the superb value of this group is their tendency to go overboard with the metal half of The Cooters persona, namely the death metal screaming on tracks like “The Gooch,” “Society Sets The Stereotype” and “Life Like,” as well as the ubiquitous expletives, which undermines the band’s superior quality.
However, despite these discrepancies, Newter, Raw and Judas Cooter showcase undeniable ingenuity with clever arrangements, crisp, clean grooves and guitar solos which would rival the likes of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai or Eric Clapton.
Raw Cooter, also known as Thomas Gentry Webb, demonstrates exceptional wherewithal on guitar and simply riveting displays of virtuosity on his solos, showing complete command on tracks like “Crusty” and “Life Like.”
Judas Cooter, alias Michael J. Namarato, exhibits his remarkable adeptness with a double kick bass pedal on “Wheels In Motion,” while Newter Cooter, also known as A. Newt Rayburn, rounds out the sound with rock-solid bass licks throughout the recording.
The Cooters are not without a sense of humor.
From the resounding belching to the tongue-in-cheek track “Okolona,” a song about a fateful run in with the city police on the way to a gig, the album is not without a bit of comic relief from the typical heaviness of a metal group.
Let’s just hope Chickasaw County officials don’t run across “Okolona”, for the band’s sake!
Undoubtedly, “Punk Metal” is probably not a CD a 7-year-old should purchase for at least a decade, but any person mature enough to handle all that comes with a metal recording should definitely get his hands on this one.
