(həd) p.e. - The DiY Guys

Genre hard rock Publisher Suburban Noize

It is hard to deny their energy, nor fail to recognize their longevity. On The DIY Guys, (hed)p.e. gives us a taste of what the term "punk" can really mean. Blasting through a number of live tracks and a bunch of unreleased material, (hed)p.e. punches you in the face with their uncompromising fusion of metal, hip-hop, and punk.

Packaging both a CD and a DVD, the band makes an effort to reward their loyal fan base. The CD offers a number of live tracks taken from their two Suburban Noize releases "Back 2 Base X" and "Insomnia" recorded at Hollywood's legendary Key Club. The mix is raw and full of life. Frontman Jahred Shane electrifies the crowd with his patent hardcore screeching over a rock solid rhythm on "Madhouse" and quickly into the second track "Not Ded Yet." The pace is mostly furious, but they manage to playfully work "Game Over" and the up and down funky frenzy "Sophia" seamlessly into the madness.

The crowd responds appropriately to their every shout, pushing closer and gladly accepting the frenzied assault no matter what the consequence. Unfortunately, the party is cut short with the introduction of the recorded studio tracks. Don't get me wrong, the new material is not bad at all. Comparitively though, it would be impossible to reproduce the energy of the live atmosphere. Those in charge of production should have easily sensed this and reorganized the arrangement immediately. Regardless, stand-out recordings for me was "Niteclub in Bali" first and foremost. It has a real old school Bad Religon spirit. "War On The Middle Class" furthers their punk edge and might be a good indication of what is on the horizon.

The DVD does very little to help the cause. Mockumentary stylized skits, consipiracy theories, smoking, and a scattering of live snippets fill 90 mintues of space. It is predicatably juvenile and crass, providing only a few funny moments. The live performances littered throughout the video are incomplete and interrupted with the skit nonsense. The only worthwhile pieces come in the form of music videos in the bonus section.

If the band learns one lesson from this production, it should be to stick to being a band. We know you're cool, smoke weed, and are all about conspiracy theories and shit like that. Give it to me in the music. Light that mosh pit up and lay down some hardcore beats. There is no need for all the extra bullshit. Give me some (hed)p.e.