By Irving Mira
Thoughtcrime is a melodic punk band from the Antelope Valley in Southern California. Comprised of Oscar Pleitez on guitar and vocals, Gabe Gonzalez on bass and backup vocals, and Jose Carrillo on drums, they first debuted in late 2013 with the release of their first album “Unfair Warning” on December 24th. The album we look at today is “A Pleasure to Burn”, which is their first full-length album and the follow up to their previous 2013 release.
When first looking at this album you can’t help but notice the cover art, and let me tell you; not only is it great, but it fits the overall spirit and theme of the album really well. The cover was done by Michelle Navarette and it reminds me a lot of political graffiti up against the cold concrete of a cityscape. The cover depicts an individual strapped with a backpack or tank on their back and a matchbox (disguised as a bible) and lighting a city or a mural of one on fire.
The title track “A Pleasure to Burn” seems to be about the burning of documents or books and it is very short and to the point and is a great intro track due to this reason, despite being possibly the most simplistic song on the album. ”World Gone Grey” (which is personally my favorite track on this album) is really melodic and reminds me a lot of bands such as Rise Against and Pennywise. It has a infectious bass intro, starts up low and as the bass swells up, the song explodes into existence. The very melodic bass is full of climbs and descents, loaded with trills as well as a great bass and guitar solo, all accompanied by the steady (but driven) pound of the drums. It’s upbeat, catchy, and conveys a message of conspiracy and of how what really goes on in the underbelly of society remains unseen and how everyone eats up the lies and falls into place. Pretty thought-provoking stuff.
“Make Room” is the ninth track on the album and it’s definitely the one that stands out the most. It starts off with clean guitar accompanied by a moderately fast beat and segues into a pretty interesting and enjoyable intro-solo and then the first verse. Oscar’s vocals in this song remind me a lot of Fat Mike’s vocals from NOFX. The lyrics seem to be about not feeling good enough for someone or not being able to give them what they’re looking for. The album becomes more personal towards the end again with the track “Home”, which is possibly the perfect song to close with and definitely stands out on its own as well.
Their sound is a wonderful combination of searing power-chords, with the occasional well blended solo like the ones during “Doubleplus Kill”, “Endstart”, “Emergency”, and the intro and outro to “Make Room” as well as the finale to “Home”. The drums are fast, punchy, precise punk beats with plenty of build. Meanwhile the speedy driving bass holds everything together nicely. The album is well produced, but still has a nice raw edge to it which matches their sound perfectly. All in all – if you’re a fan of political punk with a good melody and a fun feel to it, I highly recommend you check this one out!
To here the album, click here