Customer Reviews

Punk-O-Rama 8

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I'm french and punk music in France is not ... the best ... So I have to focus on american stuff and I bought this CD 1 week ago and I'm glad cause it's a great Cd featuring (very) good music (Nofx, Bad religion, Pennywise, Rancid and many more) but I was a bit disappointed with few songs that I couldn't considere as Punk at all . Like "Matchbook romance" doesn't have its place here at all !! It's a sort of emo metal and it reminds me this sort of bands who come with a hit single for 2 weeks and then they are gone, or there is also the remix of "quick death" (which is a good music.. but the remix ... yuk ...)
No but seriously it's a good CD and for 7 bucks don't hesitate it is still very worth-listenning and most of the songs are good.

This is probably my favorite compilation in the series, and it surprised me on several levels. After last year's relatively short entry, I thought the subsequent volumes would be lean as well, so the two discs came as a shock, as did the fact that it is still dirt cheap.

Now the music. I was at first shocked to hear the tracks by Sage Francis and Atmosphere, two rap songs. However, I liked both songs, and Sage Francis felt right at home next to the radical politics of The (International) Noise Conspiracy. The sequencing is brilliant, and it just felt right. Epitaph's attempt at a screamo band along the lines of Thursday or The Used falls flat, however, and Matchbook Romance is hardly listenable. The Black Keys add some variation with their blues rock sound. Think The White Stripes, but more raw and authentic. The veterans are well represented, as the new Pennywise track is great, and NOFX contributes a really solid song. The two unreleased Bad Religion songs are just average, and would have felt like filler on Process of Belief. Death by Stereo and Refused are incredible as usual, and the Transplants make up for the fact that no new Rancid song is present. Turbonegro, Guttermouth, and the Dropkick Murphys (who contribute a new track) are also all great.

Overall, you can't go wrong with this album. It has a few throwaways, but most of the tracks are really good. It does a great job of displaying how strong Epitaph currently is, ranging from buzz bands such as The Distillers and The Black Keys, to veterans such as Pennywise, and even the psychobilly of Tiger Army. This comp shouldn't be missed by anyone, especially punk fans.

While not on the level of Punk-O-Rama 4 or 5, the eight installment in the series is jam-packed with excellent punk rock and also some great non-punk tracks. Favorites of mine on disc one are an awesome cut from The Distillers, a track from Bouncing Souls upcoming CD that is not as punky as I'm used to from them but still great, NOFX's first single from the bitchin' new album War on Errorism, and a track from Bad Religion that I've never heard before. Also there were two non-punk tracks that really blew me away, the first being Makeshift Patriot by Sage Francis. Francis melds spoken word and rap togther in the form of a painfully honest commentary about post-9/11 America that is definitely worth a listen. The other track that really knocked my socks off was The Black Keys. Think of Stevie Ray Vaughn having an illegitimate love child with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. That's about the best way I can describe this song. Mind-numbingly cool.

Personal highlights from the second disc are Death By Stereo, the new and for me, long awaited Pennywise song (which totally delivers), a cut from DKM soon-to-be-released new disc, Transplants featuring Davey Havok (who also has a nice track with Tiger Army), Raised Fist (a band I hadn't heard before but want to hear more of), and another..Bad Religion song.

There are some tracks I don't personally care for (Matchbook Romance, Ikara Colt) but for the most part this is an awesome compilation that deserves to be in any punk fan's collection.

If you are a real fan of punk, not of all that pop trash they play on the radio, then this is a must have cd. Priced at most retail stores for about $$$, and even less at Amazon, this cd will add 35 tracks to your punk collection. There are sevral new, previously unreleased songs here, including some new ones by Bad Religion. Personal favorites are Bouncing Souls, Matchbook Romance, NOFX, International Noise Conspiracy, Dropkick Murphys, and Bombshell Rocks, but almost all of the songs are excellent. The most interesting song has got to be 'Makeshift Patriot' by Sage Francis. This is not a punk song at all, but it is a sort of freestlye-based rap song. Don't turn it down if you hate rap though, this song is amazing also. Buy this CD today, and while you're at it, get the other CDs in the series - you wont be dissapointed

Look no matter what anyone says this is a sweet disk and well worth the little mony it costs, I have all the POR disks and they all have something interesting and unique to offer. So please take my word for it and do yorself a favor and buy this CD

I dont get why this got so many bad reviews.Sure its not exactly Punk but it does have a few quality tracks and for 15$ for 33 tracks whos complaining.This Compilation features some of "modern"punks most high profile bands Rancid,NOFX,Bad Religion,Pennywise,Millencolin,Tiger Army,No fun at all.But its not all good,God knows what the Hell Epitaph were thinking when they signed Matchbook Romance.If your a fan of Epitaph bands its probably worth the small price,If you are a punk "purist"this will just infuriate you.

Well when I bought this cd I knew I was gonna like it, but instead I ended up LOVING it. Each song is great (not the rap though) this cd is highly adictive, and has to offer the best punk bands, AND songs out. Bands like, Pennywise, Nofx, Bad Religion, F Minus, Tiger Army, Distillers,Dropkick Murphys, Rancid, and much much more. Buy this cd, and at a price nobody can beat.

This was my first Punk-O-Rama cd. I bought it because it was a punk cd with some of my favorite punk bands, it was cheap, and it was two discs long. I wasent dissapointed in buying this. Most of the songs are really good. There are a few ok ones, but I mainly skip those and listein to the awesome rockin' ones! My favorite songs on this cd are:
Dropkick Murphys - Gonna Be A Blackout
Rancid - As Wicked
Bouncing Souls - New Day
Bad Religion - Who We Are
TransPlants - Quick Death
NOFX - The Idiots are Taking Over

You remember when Punk-O-Rama 1 came out and all of us were stoked beyond belief. Then 2 through 4 and then the kinda let down of 5, the greatness of 6 and the mediocrity of 7. Well let me tell you that this album is the second worst of all the compalations, only falling to number 5. It has rap, which is alright, emo which is never good under any circumstances, and some nu metal which is tolerable. The only reason that this cd got this many starts is because of The Distillers, who are the best punk band out right know, and the solid job by NOFX who is is argubely the best punk band of all time. Then you have modest attempts my Millencolin, The Bouncing Souls, The Transplants, and of course Pennywise. Dont get me wrong this cd is a definite if you collect these cds like myself, but dont go into listening to this one if you are searching for the greatness that once was Punk-O-Rama. I have hope though, because of the abismal Punk-O-Rama 5 they came back with an awesome Punk-O-Rama 6. If you are reading this you obviously have some knoweledge of music and I ask you not to do what you preach. Dont judge this by what others might say. I myself am not a fan of rap, or that nu metal stuff, but some of it is ok. Dont automatically judge this whole cd on the fact that you may be close minded to anything not punk. Some of it pretty good, but for all you real fans like myself, dont buy this CD if you want to be saved again. If you are interested in punk and you want to start with this series, I highly suggest Punk-O-Rama 3. By far the best one released. Rock on, and stay true.

I just got this punk o rama from a friend, and its not a very good cd at all, in fact, it sucks.
All the bands that were good are getting horrible and who puts rap on a punk cd? its not rap-o-rama.
The best punk o rama is the one with TSOL's code blue on it, in my opinion.
Check out some of these bands older stuff, you will like it a lot more