Flowers Of Evil

***Punk and New York City go together like dorks and records. It is what it is. FLOWERS OF EVIL (led by BRANDON WELCHEZ of CROCODILES and DAVID MCDANIEL from YOUNG BOYS) is a punk band from New York City, but listening to its self-titled debut LP on Deranged, you would think this band couldn’t be from anywhere near NYC. Pulling influences from The Germs to Rudimentary Peni to The VSS, the musicians craft a sound that is more than just a tribute to confrontational punk bands of the past—it’s a sound all their own. On this record, Flowers Of Evil packs in more intensity in 20 minutes than most groups do in a lifetime. Songs like “S.S. Eyes” and “Number Two” are aggressive in the way bands like The Screamers were, but feel harder, even with the catchy vocal melodies. Each song is a ripper but things change with closer “Until You Feel The Cut,” which gives the early No Trend records a run for their money. It’s a slow punch to the gut, ending a record that just 18 minutes earlier was delivering a swift punch to the face. (STREET DATE - 8/28/2015)