| Coming from the brains of Justin Mauriello while he was in Zebrahead, I Hate Kate was an outlet for
material that didn't fit with ZH's style. After he left, IHK became the top priority and after
releasing an EP in 2006 they are ready to release their first full-length "Embrace The Curse." I
don't know who this "Kate" is but if this group of three can pump out some good music, I'll go right
along with them in their hatred of her.
At first I felt the jolt of Justin's very familiar vocals that had me reminiscing about "Playmate Of
The Year" (Only in my room! hah). I Hate Kate isn't the average alt rock band however as we have the
poppy elements from Zebrahead, mixed with punk similar to MxPx, and dashed with catchy bits of
synth. The punk influence gets thicker throughout the record but the mixture mentioned a second ago
keeps their style fresh all the way through.
Now don't go thinking this is a direct substitute for ZH because there are major differences. While
IHK does have the charging riffs of ZH it also has a more "The Killers" feel (synth/quirky
guitars/running bass lines) that appears a lot. And while these sections do sound like well put
together songs, it felt a bit weird coming from the brains of ZH.
In the end, this is a fascinating look into the punk outlet for Justin. There are mainstream
elements
as well as original quirks that shine through and deliver this alternative rock to open ears. I Hate
Kate has put forth a catchy first album and if people get to hear it, I'm sure almost everyone will
be able to find something they like in it. A more mainstream grasp on the indie, and for that I will
hate Kate and instead of embracing a curse, I'll embrace this album. You should too.
~ Pernell
June 18 2008 |
