An up and down affair
Hated: 2008-2011 is a compilation album of archived material recorded by Brooklyn punk band, The Men. As a compilation album, it lacks the continuity of a formal studio release. Still, most of the album fits together under the hardcore/punk rock umbrella, though a few tracks are so drastically different from this sound that they feel completely out of place. Overall, Hated: 2008-2011 is an uneven release plagued by poor mixing and sound quality, though there are occasional bright spots that highlight just how good The Men can be when at their best.
“Twist The Knife” is a fitting opening track insofar as it suffers from many of the problems that will trouble all of Hated: 2008-2011. The intro is quite good, as the distorted, chaotic guitar noise bears a striking resemblance to Jimi Hendrix’s spin on the Star Spangled Banner. It moves nicely into a raw, heavy punk progression that sounds surprisingly similar to the Foo Fighters first record, which had much deeper punk roots than their later, mainstream releases. The mixing of this track is objectively awful, as the vocals are far too quiet relative to the instrumentation. The sound quality is also quite poor, and these two problems mixed with raw, screaming vocals make for a vocal track that is ear-piercing and downright impossible to comprehend. Maybe this is deliberate, as the animalistic screaming adds to the punk-rock motif, but it feels forced and heavy-handed, and what could be a fun, catchy punk tune is rendered nearly unlistenable due to these problems.
After another hard-hitting tune in the form of the title track, the song that is the farthest departure from the rest of the album plays. “Free Sitar” is in many ways a complex song to analyze. On the one hand, it has absolutely no business being on this record. Its soothing, Eastern sound has nothing in common with the rest of Hated: 2008-2011. On the other hand, it’s a beautiful, pristine song that breaks up the action effectively after two heavy punk tunes with low audio quality. This track is a simple one, but it really showcases the range of The Men and informs the listener that there is more to this record–and this band–than over-the-top hardcore punk songs that sound like they were recorded on a flip phone in some Brooklyn basement.
“Gates of Steel” is a great return to The Men’s punk-rock tendencies. The guitar work is more inspired than it’s been on the previous three tracks, as the intro riff grabs the listener’s attention and the solo is simple, but much more pointed and melodic than the one on “Hated,” while still retaining the same fuzzy tone and rough-around-the-edges sound.
“Digital Age” also highlights guitarist Nick Chiericozzi’s skills. An intricate riff is followed by a quick break of sludgy power chords and then immediately returns to another catchy guitar lick. There’s some Muse and Coheed and Cambria appeal here, and it stands out as some of the best guitar work on Hated. The vocals are also better here, as the gruff vocal style isn’t overdone to the point of losing any sense of melody, a problem which occurs on the previous track, “Ailment.”
Much like “Free Sitar,” “Control Loop” doesn’t really belong on Hated. It’s very different from the rest of the album, as it implements droning, electronic sound effects. This makes for a cool sound, but ultimately it amounts to an interesting premise that never goes anywhere. The track is incredibly brief, and it never moves away from this repetitive sound. The song title suggests this repetition is deliberate, but it feels like a half-baked idea that, as with “Free Sitar,” would have made for a much more interesting sound if expanded upon.
“Walking Out On Love” is a return to the origins of punk-rock itself, as it sounds like an old-school Ramones tune. This song has some of the best vocals on the album: they’re understandable, melodic and just frayed enough to fit the punk-rock sound. Much like any good punk song, it’s short, simple and to the point, not overstaying its welcome.
“Saucy” shows some more of The Men’s range. The intro riff is solid, with some nice harmonic interplay between guitar and bass. The vocals are quite good as well, and they’re performed in a completely different style. They’re still poorly mixed and hard to understand, but this is because they’re drenched in reverb and effects, rather than just poor sound quality. This at least feels like an artistic choice. The song’s progression is similar to the rest of Hated’s punk sound, but it congeals into more of an indie-rock tune which, at this point in the album, is a nice change of pace.
The next track, “Somebody’s Watching Me,” is a return to punk-rock, which is good. Unfortunately, this song is also a return to horrendous sound quality. The album concludes with “Wasted,” a catchy tune with a simple, melodic riff. Like “Saucy,” this song walks more on the indie-rock side of the line. It’s a nice conclusion to an up and down affair.
Hated is an inconsistent effort that suffers from poor mixing, bad sound quality and the inescapable feeling that you’re listening to a compilation of songs that probably weren’t released for a reason. Still, there’s enough here to make Hated: 2008-2011 an interesting listen for fans of punk, hardcore, indie rock and The Men super-fans.
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