CHANNEL 3
CH3 (Dr. Strange)
Reviewed by Alan Wright

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Who woulda thunk that one of the best punk albums of 2002 would come from stalwarts Channel 3? Back together after a few years laying low (their last album was the live How Do You Open This Damn Thing from '94), these guys come screaming out of the gate with this amazing, fast-paced powerhouse of an album that harkens back to their first two albums, Fear Of Life and When The Lights Go Out. Gone are any of the metal and hard rock flourishes that graced some of their '80s albums; this one is full of catchy tunes with hard-driving punk guitar and the great full-throated vocals of singer Mike Magrann. 13 great barn burners here, and really, they're all great, but if I had to point out faves, I'd go with "The Whine Of Youth," "Time To Kill," "Better Days" and "The Fortune Is A Lie." Oh, and the vinyl version contains a bonus track.

[Pick this up at www.chthree.com.]

© 2003 - Alan Wright