Masked Intruder is the best pop punk band that you hope never gets out of prison. At least that's what their Facebook would tell you. Their self-titled demo/EP was my favorite short playing release of last year and I expect that once their full length is released that I'll be listening to that just as much, if not more, than the EP.
I hate it when people use the term "buzzing guitars" to describe the sound of a band. Mostly because it is used when they really mean that it sounds kind of like the Ramones, but also because at this point it is used so often to describe a variety of bands that I think that it has kind of lost any real meaning (this is assuming it had any actual meaning to begin with). With that in mind, this album is very Ramones-esque. But with more guitar solos and nasally vocals. I guess that kind of makes them like an American version of the Buzzcocks. Lyrically, the band focuses on girls and getting into trouble with the law. The classic punk stuff, in other words, you know, the kind of things that bands like the Ramones or Buzzcocks would sing about. Edgy stuff, I know.
It should be noted that Masked Intruder is a gimmick band. Their name (and sometimes their lyrics) reflect the band's appearance as actual masked intruders, hence the first sentence of this entry. Their whole schtick is that they claim to actually be prisoners. They will play shows dressed in ski masks and matching Chuck Taylors, and they will refer to each other as the color of their mask and shoes (In case you're wondering: Blue sings and plays lead guitar, Green is rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Yellow [aka Orange] plays bass and Red is the drummer). They will make Facebook status updates saying things like "the warden let us out to finish recording our demos today" or something. Normally gimmicky bands are good for their live show, but their music falls flat when recorded in the studio. I don't know a single person who says that they enjoy listening to GWAR unless they're either about to go see them live or they just came back from a GWAR show. People might be a little more divided when it comes to the Aquabats, but for me they're definitely a band where I enjoy their music more in a live setting. Masked Intruder isn't like that. Perhaps it is because their music doesn't heavily rely on the knowledge that the band poses as actual masked intruders or maybe it is just because I like this brand of pop punk so much that I am willing to overlook it. Either way, the music is enjoyable and that's the important part.
Give it a listen and see what you think. And if you dig it, go like them on Facebook.
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