Who Can Argue: Fake Names, "Fake Names"

Fake Names, Fake Names (Epitaph, 2020)

This band! 

Few bands come along that represent so much global punk rock firepower. Composed of Brian Baker (Bad Religion, Dag Nasty, Minor Threat), Michael Hampton (Embrace, S.O.A.), Dennis Lyxzen (International Noise Conspiracy, Refused), Matt Schulz (Enon, Holy Fuck, Les Savy Fav), and Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside), Fake Names has not a fake name among them—an extremely impressive roster.

Last year’s follow-up EP swapped Schulz for Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Rites of Spring) on drums, potentially offering too much awesomeness. Why Schulz didn't merit a photo on the back cover of this album—he received just a credit mention after several lines of text—I don't know. The guy played on the Boredoms' 77 Boa Drum project, for gosh sakes.

Sonically, the resulting band—a best of the best—and record fall closest to an updated approach to the melodic hardcore and early emo of Dag Nasty, Embrace, and Soulside. The album’s back cover makes a point to highlight, “No synthesizers,” and the album was recorded without effects so the band would be able to perform the songs live without too much adjustment.

It’s an impressive combination of east coast United States and Swedish punk and hardcore concepts. In fact, building on the band’s hardcore, post-hardcore, and punk lineage, the album is perhaps more oriented toward power pop or alt-rock than old-school punk or hardcore. Self-described purists might chafe, but who can argue with this group? They’ve got the history, they’ve made the records, and with many members in their 50s now, they’ve got the chops.

The band initially formed so Baker and Hampton—who composes for commercials, television, and video games—could write songs together; Hampton hadn’t performed in a band for decades. The two then recruited Lyxzen between sets at Riot Fest in 2016. He took the songs the two had worked out and wrote lyrics.

Resonating with the politics of Bad Religion and Lyxzen’s past bands (Baker is also quite outspoken on Twitter), lyrics address themes and topics such as the alienation of consumption, class, the commodification of creativity, conformity, freedom, protest and revolution, and redemption. Baker and Hampton’s guitars mesh well melodically, and Lyxzen’s lead vocals alternate between soulful (almost edging toward dark wave on “Darkest Days” and “First Everlasting”) and strident.

Standout tracks include "All for Sale," “Brick,” “This Is Nothing,” and “Lost Cause,” which is an excellent ending to the album.