Album Review: Greatest Hits Vol. 1 by Teenage Time Killers

By Brian Kane

If I had to describe the Teenage Time Killers in one sentence, I'd say "They're a super group that has achieved a balance between hard, fast, heavy, and slow." The band was formed Mick Murphy (My Ruin) and Reed Mullin (Corrosion of Conformity). The band also features Cory Taylor (Slipknot), Randy Blythe (Lamb of God), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Lee Ving (Fear), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), and a few more! Some have compared this project with one of Dave Grohl's previous outings, Probot. However, I much prefer this album.

At first, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 sounds like a pretentious title, but the band earns it rather quickly. There are multiple songs that I listened to on loop. "Crowned by the Light of the Sun", Hung Out to Dry", and "Barrio" are a few of my personal favorites. There is a lot of variety on the album. As odd as it sounds, it actually feels like these tracks were the best of the band's previous work. The skill and style showcased in this album is really refreshing, and that's true for the majority of the twenty four songs.

Of the Twenty Four the songs on the album, only two are duplicates. "Ode to Sean Hannity" and "Ignorant People" are featured twice, once with Jello Biafra and Tony Foresta respectively, and once with Reed Mullin filling in. This inclusion poises the question: "Will the Teenage Time Killers ever tour?" A super group of this size can't be expected to take the time out of every schedule for a brief tour. Surprisingly, I actually prefer Reed Mullin's version of "Ode to Sean Hannity" over Biafra's, because it gets to the point. Biafra's version starts with forty seconds of fake radio clips, doubling the songs length for unnecessary political sting. The poem, written by John Cleese, perfectly captures the point without character dialogue in the beginning. Also, I think Mullin's take is more aggressive and frustrated, matching the tone. That complaint is my only real gripe with the album.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone open to a Punk/Hardcore super group. The energy is high, and so is the intensity. Just know that the short length comes with the territory. The production value and overall quality make up for any concern about length. It is better to have shorter songs, than anything that over stays it's welcome. These two genres are perfect for that. They say and do what they have to and then they're done. I personally hope that the Teenage Time Killers are not done.

Posted in: Album Review, Hardcore, WSOU Exclusive