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I have to admit that I'm very lucky to live in Rhode Island. Boston, which has been a breeding ground for great bands and shows, is 45 minutes away. Worcester, which also has some pretty good shows, is 45 minutes away. New York is only a few hours away, and there are over 20 Newbury Comics' within driving or road trip distance that I could go to anytime I want to get my CD buying fix.
While the music scene in Rhode Island seems to come and go (partly due to my recent laziness to check out a lot of the newer local bands), DropDead have remained a constant. They've been playing blisteringly fast grind punk for over ten years, and I've been seeing them play for maybe five or six years. DropDead has done great things for this scene, including guitarist Ben opening up a rad record shop called Armageddon.
If you've heard DropDead before, you know that they are a political grind punk band. If you're a fan of them, these songs are a great addition to your collection. Bob's voice sounds dry and not as screamy as previous releases, which takes a listen or two to get used to, but is still very DropDead.
Look Back and Laugh is a band that will be exposed to new people because of this split, and they put forth a great three song effort. They are a female fronted hardcore band that has a nice crusty sound as well. They sound so noisy, which seems to fit so well. They pummel the listener with three songs of hardcore fury, not letting up for a second. Look for this band to do some great things in the future.