"Murder 1" are masters of the three-chord romp, but can make those three chords sound pretty big. Varying degrees of rock, confident even when it isn't hitting on all cylinders, but still, when the engine is firing, there's some gears to "Murder 1." "You Fucked my girlfriend/ Why'd you fuck my girlfriend/ La la lala/ la la la/ lalala," proclaims "Girlfriend" and brews with pure rock energy and punk attitude of laughing at the painful, if not giving up some in the meaningful music department (and they like this song so much they include it again at the end of the disk).

The singer even pulls his best Everlast impression on the (as soulful as "Murder 1" get) "No Woman No Cry." Somehow he pulls is off, but they should stick to the full throttle approach and leave the sentiment for those who can't rock. There's even some morality in "We Don't Get High." Are these guys straight edge? Doubt it. Maybe just don't do a lot of drugs.

Back to the rock - that's what "Murder 1" are. With a lead guitarist that shows you can still kick out an attention grabbing solo and backing vocals that make the lyrics very crisp in their delivery, considering they aren't the smoothest pipes out there. Patches of old G-n-R around the corners, with a snotty punk attitude and intentionally trite lyrics, but hey, they rhyme (examples of cheese evident in "Bullet Proof Vest").

The Joan Jett drum breakdowns rock on in "We Sold Our Sperm," which echoes the chorus: "We sold our sperm for Rock N Roll." I can dig that. The most bizarre and superbly respectable offering is the reading entitled "Gospel 2," which is an intense analogy of man's struggle against nothingness (everything) and his indescribable exaltation at reaching an oasis from the desert of nothingness. Make your own interpretations and at the very least it is an intelligent reading with some trippy whine guitars in the background.

"Murder 1" return to the rap feel in "Last Man Standing." Guys, please don't go there. You are talented enough to pull it off, but it's used - trust me. Plus it runs against the grain of the rest of the release and could almost pass for another band entirely.

The musical depth of originality is as puddle deep as some of the imagery, but attitude will buy you a lot and "Murder 1" should be able to afford a following and have a little left over for beer in the morning.