I can't believe this is a band that began when they were in eighth grade - only four years ago!? So now they're high school seniors? Man, that's discouraging. Now I'll be thinking the whole time I write this review, "Why didn't I stick to playing the guitar. . .?" They're pretty up there with the best of old school punk, but it makes you wonder how when you consider their youthfulness. "Sound Formula" takes that formula that first popularized the aggressive early eighties style of hard-core and punk music, recreated by a bunch of kids who weren't even born yet! Oh, by the way, Kevin, pull your pants up man. And a sound formula is what you'll hear after popping this disc on. Nothing original, mind you, but then again, how many bands can be anymore?

Right from the onset, the pace lets loose and wipe out any misconceived notions of bubble-gum modern rock/pop in disguise. Hell, they're from Detroit, so they've got quite a bit of history to live up to when rock and roll's the game, like The Stooges, MC5, etc. "Social Scare's" politically minded in most cases, where tunes like "Keep Us Free" and "Blind Hatred" speak out against bearing arms and racism. I've got to admit the racism thing's getting old a bit quickly though, so let's get on wit' it!

"Garrow" goes on about misuse of governmental power. They are kind of young to really be as opinionated, or maybe "aggravated" is a better word, as they come across in their lyrics, but they're guided by good intentions. You almost get the idea that they head right out to the basement after school, throw around some ideas that developed during an earlier social studies class, then start poundin' 'em out. A convenient method if that should be the case on "Fifteen?" All the while, the music's pounding you with a pent-up rage storming forth in a wall of overamplification and a caustic drum beat before letting up when, unexpectedly, "Sound Formula" the instrumental makes its way. Their views are sincere, if just a bit jaded, but they play exceptionally well and all questions aside, they let the music do the talking, while each of them takes their turn at vocalizing. You know what does it for me when I set on to listen to a new punk album? It's got to be loud, fast, and so noisy that I can't understand a fucking word. "Social Scare" spews forth those humble qualities, while adding a pinch of profanity and dash of discontent in the creation of their latest formula of fright. And they're right, detention hall is boring as hell!