Members of Rancid, Operation Ivy & Jello Biafra's Guantanamo School of Medicine Form CHARGER & Release S/T EP (Pirates Press Records)
Christian Wagner from Emeryville, California-based Pirates Press Records has been sending us digital promos and EPK's for a year or so now, via email, but within the last few months, he's been sending us physical promos, as well: Lenny Lashley's Gang of One's All Are Welcome, Harrington Saints' 1,000 POUNDS OF Oi!, and most recently, CHARGER's debut self-titled EP AKA "S/T" EP. Oddly enough, CHARGER's S/T EP is the third Rancid-related release recently issued by Pirates Press; Landfill Crew's self-titled 2x7-inch EP features long-time Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, The Old Firm Casuals' Holger Danske features Lars Frederiksen of both Rancid and Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards, and CHARGER features Matt Freeman (bass/vocals) of Rancid, as well as genre-shaping Operation Ivy. Just today, Friday, May 10th, Pirates Press are, somehow, releasing CHARGER's S/T EP, Harrington Saints' 1,000 POUNDS OF Oi!, and PROBLEM CHILD 7-inch from all-female Ramones tribute band, Ramoms. CHARGER is rounded out by guitarist Andrew "Drew" McGee and drummer/vocalist Jason Willer, who has, also, played with Jello Biafra's post-Dead Kennedys band, Jello Biafra's Guantanamo School of Medicine, and U.K. Subs.
"CHARGER is driven by a love for 70's Hard Rock, as much as it is the ever-presents "East Bay Sound" that has shaped these musicians' lives for decades," boasts Pirates Press Records' mailed-out one-sheet. It further details CHARGER's music is suitable for fans of Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Metallica, High On Fire, and Rancid, as well as Judas Priest, Dio, AC/DC, and Neurosis. Honestly, CHARGER's 7-track S/T EP sounds exactly as described: a bunch of seasoned Punk/Hardcore musicians playing sludgy 1970's-indebted Hard Rock/Heavy Metal music with a focus on guitar-heavy riffs. "CHARGER is the soundtrack to circle pits and bar fights, to long nights and even longer mornings, to unexplained bruises and epic hangovers (and headbang-overs,)" explains the whole vibe of their S/T EP pretty perfectly. Let's just say is, if you even remotely like Rancid, Operation Ivy, Punk/Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Motörhead, Black Sabbath, or Iron Maiden, chances are, you'll really dig CHARGER's S/T EP! CHARGER's self-titled EP is currently available to stream or purchase in either digital, CD, cassette, or 12-inch vinyl formats—as well as coffee, coffee mugs, T-shirts, scarves, beanies, patches, buttons, pins, etc. embellished with CHARGER's "Ram" logo—are currently available from Pirates Press Records or directly from the band. CHARGER are playing a Record Release Show next Friday, May 17th at Eli's Mile High Club with Black Cobra & WAR BISON.
