Record Label: Financial Records
Genre: Ska Punk
Band Link: VOCSka.com

“Decades 2” is the second all cover song EP from Clearwater, FL ska punkers Victims Of Circumstance. Taking songs by decade and recording them in ska punk fashion, there are cover songs from Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Pretenders, Survivor, 4 Non Blondes and even a cover of a Mighty Mighty Bosstones song that a few people might remember.

Whereas the first “Decades” EP took one song from the 1950s to the early 2000s, “Decades 2” starts with the CCR song “Up Around the Bend” from 1970 and adds in a heavy dose of 80s tracks, sprinkles in a couple of 90s songs and finishes up with a cover of Frozen’s theme song “Let It Go”.

“Up Around the Bend” really manages to keep the original feel of the song but at a punk rock pace and with horns, “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor finds the band putting their fast and crazy bass riffs on display while playing one of the hardest versions of the song that you’ll ever hear. One of my favorite tracks on “Decades 2” is easily the cover of 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up”…a skankable third wave track that’s heavy on horns and upstrokes. I was also excited to see a full blown cover of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones chart topper “The Impression That I Get” shows up on an album. Obviously the Bosstones were a heavy influence on Victims Of Circumstance with Tim Burton of Bosstones fame producing their first album as well as laying down some horn tracks on it.

While I preferred the decade-by-decade track selection of the first “Decades” EP, there are 9 great ska punk cover tracks found on “Decades 2”. This EP is a fun look into the bands from different eras that influenced the band and it is a great listen for fans of the band as well as a gateway for fans to discover one of the most underrated ska punk bands out there today. While I’m not sure what the band’s current plans are for a full-on release of the album (as of right now it’s only available at their shows) but it’s definitely worth getting your hands on one way or another.

Bottom Line: Yet another great ska punk cover song EP from the VOC covering songs from the 70s to the 2010’s.
Notable Tracks: Up Around the Bend, Eye of the Tiger, Footloose, What’s Up, The Impression That I Get
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