Peter 118 returns again with an anthology of all previously released tracks on one album and a bonus album of live tracks performed at Harry’s House of Rebellion in LA.
Peter 118 started out as a solo project by Peter Szczepanski (Field), formerly of Senseless and Ambassadors of Shalom and featured Peter’s wife Janine on bass and friend Sam on drums. In 2014, the catchy “Radio” was released, followed by “Make it or Break it” in 2015. In 2016 the band’s Need You More ep caught the ear of legendary KROQ DJ Rodney Bingenheimer and band’s video started seeding mainstream airplay. Alisha Palmer was added on rhythm guitar and the band has played the Rainbow Rock Festival in Stockholm.
For the Anthology, all you need to know is that the album is filled with catchy pop punk songs with the kind of hooks that get stuck in your head and keep replaying in your head throughout the day but in a way that doesn’t make you immediately search for something else to drown it out. I reviewed maybe all of the previous ep’s the songs came from and pretty sure I gave them all at least an 8/10 each time. Being an aging metalhead/hardcore kid, I wanted to not like these to keep my scene points, but they are too good to ignore. Some highlights from my previous reviews of these songs: “Peter 118 definitely has a knack for writing catchy, hook-filled rhythms and melodies and has the lyrics to match,” Guitar-driven punk rock is the story here and lyrically, the band’s Christian beliefs come through loud and clear,” and “Make it or Break it has that crossover appeal to it, that certain catchiness to the songs that is hard to deny (and describe).”
Live in LA, is the perfect accompaniment to the Anthology album, plain and simple. Punk rock is more about the energy in the performance than technical wizardry, and since most of us will not be able to see Peter 118 live, we have to live vicariously through recordings. That being said, some bands simply can’t reproduce the quality of the studio performances live. Peter 118 does not fall into that group, thankfully. Performances are strong, stage banter is kept to a minimum, and the sound is obviously rougher than the studio, but still very well mixed with all the instruments and vocals clear. My only complaint is that the recording is only 9 songs and 17 minutes. Some of the jangly guitars in the studio version have been replaced with a bit or more snarly distorted guitar tone but otherwise the songs are great representations of the studio versions but perhaps with a bit more energy. I almost get a Smithereens vibe in places with some of the songs as that was a band that was described as playing Beatles songs through Marshall amps or something to that effect and I can hear some of that here in places like the beginning of “21 Again” and in parts of “Radio” for sure. Hard edge melodic pop punk done right and live, that’s what you have here.
Rating: 9/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist – Anthology
1. Don’t Listen to a Word I Say
2. Radio
3. Break ‘Em Out
4. United We Stand
5. 21 Again
6. We Don’t Need It
7. Perfect King
8. Need You More (feat. Lisa Cox)
9. Where I Am
10. Make Up My Mind
11. Follow Him
12. Wasting
13. Need You More (Pop Remix)
Tracklist – Live at Harvey’s House of Rebellion
1. Intro
2. Don’t Listen to a Word I Say
3. Radio
4. 21 Again
5. Break ‘Em Out
6. Follow Him
7. Wasting
8. We Don’t Need It
9. Perfect King
Musicians
Peter Szczepanski – guitars, vocals
Janine Szczepanski – bass, vocals
Sam Critchley – drums
Alisha Hope Palmer – guitars, vocals
Record Label: RavenFaith Records, March 2018
Follow them at: Facebook / Website / Twitter
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Video for ‘Need You More’
Video for ‘Wasting’