Fueled by a heavy dose of wolfsbane and B-movie splatter, EpicDemic, the third album from Thunder Bay’s Forever Dead! is the perfect vehicle for doo-wop mosh pit moves and slamming gritty whiskey shots. Overall shorter yet more resolved than 2011’s self-titled album, EpicDemic hotrods through eight tracks of foot-to-the-floor melodic pop punk. Gratzo’s guitar lines are pure octane, and he has the booming bottom end of George Gratz’s bass and Tyler T. Destroyer’s drums riding in the backseat. Make no mistake, though: this monstrous jalopy is firmly driven by Chelsea Heart’s vocals. Her scrappy snarl, usually accented by her bandmates’ croons and whoas, takes the lead on each song’s hell-bent pace. The odd touches of rockabilly and ska slow-down work their way in, particularly in the velvet-gloved punch of “Galaxies,” but this is first and foremost a record of punk rock that’s easily earned frequent rotation. Highly recommended.

4/5

-Justin Allec

forever dead