Shatner's Revenge - Nowhere's Ark

Artist Website: Shatner's Revenge at Myspace
Netlabel Website: N.O.P. Records

Track list:

1 - Memory Is No Fun
2 - Ghosts
3 - Shawwty (Or Hip-Hop Called, He Sounded Mad)
4 - Nowhere's Ark
5 - BRAIN!!!
6 - 'Dear Boz'
7 - Sherlock
8 - Shat's Last Stand

Download links: [MP3 and stream]

I first came into contact with N.O.P. Records after discovering a musical project called Brother Against Brother, which was fronted by the label's creator, Boz. I talked with him several times via Myspace messaging, and he told me about his label that he was starting up. This was several months ago, and N.O.P Records has since released several albums (six are available for download at the time of this article). I haven't had the chance to listen to all of them yet, but one of the albums that I listened to and really enjoyed was Nowhere's Ark by ska/punk outfit Shatner's Revenge.

I was a little late to the party when it comes to discovering ska (My first exposure to the genre came in the form of Catch 22's sophmore album Alone in a Crowd), but from the get-go I loved what I was hearing. I'm always on the lookout for new talented ska groups, especially since the peak of the genre ended over a decade ago. However, bands like Shatner's Revenge prove that ska will never truly die as long as there are talented musicians who are dedicated to playing it.

One of the things I loved about this album was its ability to blend 2nd and 3rd wave ska in a single album. This is apparent right from the first song, Memory is No Fun. The beginning and end are characterized by the distorted strumming of punk-influenced 3rd wave ska, while the middle section could have been ripped directly from a 2nd wave band like The Specials or The English Beat. The interweaving of different ska styles show the listener how much these guys care about the genre, and it kept me engaged, wondering what kind of sound I'd hear on the next track.

I also really enjoyed the quality of the recording on this album. The guitar is loud and clear when distorted, and crisp and clean when playing the traditional "up-beat" ska riff. The horns sound great together, but are still able to be distinguished from one another. My only complaint is that the bass-end seemed a little to low for most of the album, which made it hard to hear the bass guitar (the instrument I've always considered to be the driving force of ska music).

For standout tracks, my favorites were the opener Memory is No Fun, and the album's title track, Nowhere's Ark.

It's been quite a while since I've found new ska music that's made me wanna stand up and skank while listening to it, but with Shatner's Revenge, that's no longer a problem.