FLOWERS OF EVIL (led by BRANDON WELCHEZ of CROCODILES and DAVID MCDANIEL from YOUNG BOYS) is a punk band from New York City, but listening to its self-titled debut LP on Deranged, you would think this band couldn’t be from anywhere near NYC. Pulling influences from The Germs to Rudimentary Peni to The VSS, the musicians craft a sound that is more than just a tribute to confrontational punk bands of the past—it’s a sound all their own. On this record, Flowers Of Evil packs in more intensity in 20 minutes than most groups do in a lifetime. Songs like “S.S. Eyes” and “Number Two” are aggressive in the way bands like The Screamers were, but feel harder, even with the catchy vocal melodies. Each song is a ripper but things change with closer “Until You Feel The Cut,” which gives the early No Trend records a run for their money. It’s a slow punch to the gut, ending a record that just 18 minutes earlier was delivering a swift punch to the face.
