Fun, fuzzy, groovy rock

Capital Punishment, actor Ben Stiller’s teenage rock band, is releasing their upcoming EP This Is Capital Punishment on Black Friday, November 23. Stiller, Capital Punishment’s drummer, is joined by Peter Swann, Peter Zusi and Kriss Roebling. The high school friends have come together to release their first new material since the ’80s along with a remake of “Confusion,” a track off of the band’s 1982 album Roadkill, that was recently released on Captured Tracks.

Often labeled in headlines as a punk band, the group has far more funk-influenced hard rock tendencies. A quick, fun listen, This Is Capital Punishment will surprise audiences.

The EP begins with the remake of “Confusion.” It begins with a funky, ‘70s-sounding groove–laid down well by Stiller on drums–along with talk-box melodies, spaceship synth sounds and vocals doubled up with a high octave. About a minute and a half in, the band pushes the accelerator, picking up the volume and raising the vocals to head range. The song progresses with a strange, dystopian tonality, transitioning towards a noise-rock outro.

“Drumming Out Time Inside Me” starts with another funky progression and warbling, effect-laden vocals. Stiller steals the show on the kit here, as his drum part is varied and interesting, standing out well in the mix. It’s clear the band has a good sense of humor about their music, as this song and “Hot Love” could pass as track names on a Tenacious D album. The name of the EP itself is also a slight variant on a self-titled album, but could also be interpreted as a joke, as if the band is saying, “listening to this music it is capital punishment.”

The aforementioned “Hot Love” is up next, starting off with another intro featuring a talk box or wah-wah effect. Then the guitarist kicks on the fuzz, Stiller jumps in and the track takes off. Stiller has an obviously good sense of rhythm, as every song on the EP sits in a comfortable groove that is catchy but never rushed.

By this point in This Is Capital Punishment, it’s clear that Capital Punishment are miscast as a punk band. They sound far more like a hard rock band influenced by 1970s funk, and they achieve this sound effectively.

“Grey and Illuminate” serves as a nice change of pace, as the reverb-drenched, finger-picked guitar progression offers a distinctly different sound from the rest of the record. Stiller soon comes in with a familiar beat, adding a thread of connectivity to the previous songs. The vocals stand out on this track, as they cut through the mix well and sound especially articulate relative to the other songs.

The brief-but-enjoyable EP concludes with “Shannon Rose,” a return to the fuzzy rock sound present throughout much of This Is Capital Punishment. The chorus sounds huge and full, and it’s one of the best sections of any song the EP has to offer. This song has rock radio hit written all over it.

Capital Punishment’s return to music is surprisingly good given their roughly 35-year hiatus. It’s likely that this is a one-off release given the band’s other responsibilities–Stiller is a high-profile actor, Swann is a judge on Arizona’s Supreme Court, Zusi is a professor in London and Roebling is a documentarian/musician, per the band’s official bandcamp. Still, This Is Capital Punishment is a solid EP offering an eclectic mix of ‘70s funk, hard rock and hints of synth pop. Those looking for a hardcore or punk album may be left disappointed, however. Check out This Is Capital Punishment on vinyl in a record store near you this Black Friday.