Record Label: Ska Punk International
Genre: Ska/Punk
Band Link: Sgtscag.com
Buy On Bandcamp

“At Least More Than Half-Way Dead” is the first full-length release from Sgt. Scag AKA Sgt. Scagnetti since 1999. 2021 saw a split release with Hans Gruber and the Die Hards.

What do we have here with this new album after nearly 25 years? You get an album that’s in-your-face, poignant, streetwise and intelligent. As with a lot of bands that have been away from the game for awhile, they get wiser with age and Sgt. Scag have managed to apply that wisdom and experience that comes with age to this album. Their sound is harder and edgier than the late 90s stuff but doesn’t stray too far from their ska and punk roots and dare I say, ska-core sound from back then.

The album kicks off with a build-up intro song titled “Re-Medicator” that brings some metal and some horns that carries over to the still-heavy but skankable song “Teeth”. “Spotless And Sponsored” maintains the heavy with a harder punk-influenced rock song.

There are some straight up gems on this release with “Charred Castles” being one of my favorites as it takes shots at weekend protesters and their lack of spines when it comes to their favorite corporate eateries. It reminds me a lot of the Five Iron Frenzy song “While Supplies Last” which called out the horrible people buying and selling hard to find products during the pandemics. The target audience for those two songs are one and the same. Another favorite song on this release is “401 BK” which features Hans Gruber and the Die Hards and once again takes a shot at the terrible business practices that everyday workers have to deal with, especially in the fast food industry, which is a meat grinder…pun intended.

Being away for the game for two and a half decades, Sgt. Scag sounds as tight and relevant as they did during the end of the third wave when so many bands disappeared into oblivion or went emo. “At Least More Than Half-Way Dead” was an unexpected kick to the teeth from a band that didn’t quite get the attention that they deserved during the ska/punk heyday. Whether you feel like, moshing, stage-diving, headbanging or just skankin’…this album has a little bit of all of that energy. Take a listen to this diamond in the rough and you won’t be disappointed because Sgt. Scag is back!

Bottom Line: A blend of ska-core, hard rock and punk that keeps the surprises coming all album long.
Notable Tracks: 401 BK, Charred Castles, Teeth, Everest
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