Covers albums aren’t always the best thing in the world. Sometimes you can find a gem, other times you simply think “what have you done to that amazing song?!”. Punk Goes 90s is an interesting mix and certainly lends itself to bands covering stuff out of their comfort zone.
Get Scared’s cover of My Own Worst Enemy originally by Lit is one of the stand out songs on the album, although it doesn’t stray to far from the original. The vocals really suit the song and the added in screams really made the song a bit of fun. The band did a good job on the song and did it justice.
Asking Alexandria’s cover of Closer originally by Nine Inch Nails sound like something the band would write lyric wise. The track builds throughout the song and the screams on the song are impressive as are the drums showing of multiple drumming styles, whether it be the pop style at the start or the heavier drums later on the song. Certainly not what you would’ve thought possible for AA.
Chuck! No Captain Chunk covered Smash Mouth’s song All Star and it’s a little bit disappointing. But they do bring the fun edge to the song that it originally had and when the whole band isn’t playing it’s a well planned cover. The only issue with the song is the fact the vocals didn’t seem to fit with the track chosen, but it’s nice to see a band step out of their comfort zone.
Hands Like Houses did a fantastic job on Torn by Natalie Imbruglia. They bring the original passion with some added instrumental flare and do the song so much justice. The vocals are top notch and powerful.
Ice Nine Kills really made Green Day’s Time Of Your Life its own. It’s a hard track to cover, being as popular as it is, and very few band’s could do such a big track justice. But Ice Nine Kills have made a fantastic effort and seem to pull it off. Acoustic based tracks are harder to cover as it relies heavy on a strong vocal performance, but Spencer Charnas has put in a stunning performance. It’s a great way to end the album.
Overall the album is decent but has some disappointing moments. Some of the bands did the songs justice, some didn’t and some excelled beyond belief. Pretty much what you’d expect from a covers album.
7/10
