With the modern rock scene pretty much being one big pop-punk party these days, it seems only fair for something a little different to be given a shot don’t you think? Maybe even something just a little bit old fashioned.
Hailing from the Bay Area of California. Five-piece punk rockers, Calculator bring back that old school punk rock attitude that’s been missing from our speakers for so long. Standing aside from popular pop-punkers like The Story So Far and Neck Deep, Calculator tear our heads off bringing back the angrier, more brutal side of punk. So much so that they’re walking the fine line between punk and the breakdown obsessed realm of hardcore.
Calculator have become known for their raw, edgy sound which they displayed expertly on their 2013 LP, This Will Come To Pass, which was reissued by their new label Count Your Lucky Stars. By blasting out throat stripping vocals as well as beautifully distorted guitar licks and frantic drum beats, Calculator have shown they are more than capable of bringing the heavy.
New track, ‘North By Northwest’ opens at first capturing the essence of 90’s rap metal giants, Rage Against The Machine before returning to their more familiar hard punk sound. ‘Graduation Day’, also from the new EP, even goes as far to show elements of Nirvana esque Grunge. The way Calculator mash together such varied genres is really quite genius. However it seems that when compared to their last EP Four Way Split, that sports vocals eerily similar to that of ex Gallows front man Frank Carter that perhaps Calculator are heading toward a slightly more melodic route.
Of course, they’re not trying to be the next Sum 41, or anything close to a teenage skate punk band. But the records show a noticeably larger focus on more melodic guitar riffs and drum tracks, when compared to the more chaotic, animal nature of their previous work. Despite that though, Calculator are looking to be a potential game changer, and stand a damn good chance of revamping that dearly missed side of punk rock that’s began to fade away as modern rock has evolved.
