Bad Poetry Band - The One Way Romance

High Roller Records
2012

Benjamin Franklin once said that "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes". While I agree with him on those two principles I would like to add one more certainty. If there is great rock and roll to be found in Sweden then it is a sure bet that High Roller Records will snag it up. More killer rock from Sweden you ask? You know it! Awhile back I asked what it was about Sweden that has allowed them to produce so many amazing bands. Well, in the promo for "The One Way Romance" Bad Poetry Band's bassist Johan shared this little nugget in regards to schools in Sweden: “Every 4th grader gets the chance to learn an instrument and a lot of the youth centers have rehearsal studios." I guess that helps to explain how we get cool acts like Bad Poetry Band. Formed in 2008, The Bad Poetry Band hail from the small working-class town of Karlskoga. Apparently Karlskoga is close to Örebro which is where bands as diverse as Witchcraft, Millencolin,The Accidents and the Truckfighters come from. Really though if you think about it these sort of bands pop up all over Sweden. And it isn't like the country is even that big or anything Now, back to the band. After releasing a couple of demos the band released an album in 2010 which was well-received by most accounts. Looking to the promo material for a second and we find out that the band's childhood heroes were Guns n' Roses, Monster Magnet and Iron Maiden. Interesting. Look past that Iron Maiden influence and what you get with this record is pretty much a mix-up of UK glam, eighties hard rock (Guns n' Roses, Hanoi Rocks and Enuff Z'Nuff), AC/DC, the Ramones and the pop/punk appeal of bands like (later day) Green Day. Don't let that last bit discourage you if your like me and think that Green Day has lost their way. It is just that like Green Day, who have a pop/punk vibe going for them, this act pulls in hook-laden pop/punk when the mood suits them with the end result being smashmouth rock and roll. The band is made up of Martin Mula Gustafsson (vocals/guitars), Daniel Birath (guitar), Johan Lundh (bass) and Peter Müller (drums and vocals). Picking out my favorite tracks would be hard because, honestly, from the moment the huge rocker “Going down” kicks off there really isn't a cut to be found. "Going down" is simply high-energy rock played with passion. "Not In Love" is a bit more reserved, but even then you can hear the influence of bands like Motörhead and Monster Magnet in the bottom-end heaviness. What is enjoyable about these guys is how they can go from that kind of heaviness to a sound more akin to Enuff Z'Nuff with Beatles's harmonies and garage rock and roll solos. With that in mind “Wait for Tomorrow”, "Dig me when I'm down" and "Regret it" are all good and have their own flavors. I love the cuts "Predator" and "Make out" as they are pure rock/hard rock bliss and so is "All in vain". “Half hearted” is equal parts pop/punk, UK glam and AC/DC. Just when you think you have these guys all figured out though you get to "So Long". The album's closing number is a heartfelt power rock number that I could easily see heating up the airwaves. Very cool. "The One Way Romance" is a fun album full of everything from Beatles's harmonies to AC/DC style blues and another example why High Roller Records continues to be ahead of the game when it comes to signing killer rock bands.