Party's Over, The

CMJ - "...Thoroughly punk rock and inescapably catchy....the music sounds like the party has just begun..."

The act of frenetic head-bobbing comes back with a vengeance on The Party's Over, the energetic Artemis debut by hardcore punksters Murphy's Law. The underground New York City group has had a revolving lineup through the years and on this set, listeners find former D Generation guitarist Rick Bacchus, bassist Sal Villaneuva (Demonspeed), and drummer Eric Arce (Skarhead) joining forces with original Murphy's Law frontman Jimmy G and producer Daniel Rey (Ramones, Misfits, and White Zombie). The result of this 2001 collaboration is 15 tracks of blistering, rowdy, and fast club punk, something that diehard fans should truly savor. The Party's Over -- which refers to the Mayor Rudolph Guiliani's intense "clean up" of the Big Apple -- is also wisely flavored with just enough pop and contemporary appeal to get airplay on modern rock and metal stations, as well as specialty radio shows. Several musical departures on this predominately speedy punk set do add extra flavor to an already colorful disc. "Walking Alone" incorporates a bit of a reggae vibe, while a sexy and steamy saxophone line accents "Skinhead Girl," a song that takes the tempo down a notch to a swaggering groove (but true to punk form, the song ends with a rousing round of frenetic choruses). "C-Low," with its penetrating guitar licks, offers up the most contemporary of the bunch and is comparable to fare by such modern rock acts as 3 Doors Down. Hands down, however, "Woke Up Tied Up" is the raunchiest and most entertaining song of the set. With a spirited chorus that repeatedly shouts the track's title, this raucous song illustrates that the party is far from over for Murphy's Law. ~ Liana Jonas|