Music Review: ‘Alpha Sub’ by Alpha Sub
With filthy lyrics like “I’ll fuck your girl, I’ll fuck your sister too. I’ll even fuck your dad if that bothers you” in “Two Headed Piss,” Alpha Sub isn’t here to please anyone. They’re pissed and disillusioned, so here comes some hard truth.
Identifying themselves as “middle-class dads supporting families, driving Toyotas, and mowing our own lawns,” Alpha Sub takes inspiration from all aspects of their lives to deconstruct the “social contract” they were “never asked to sign” but are “forced to oblige by.” Having been those who live in the bubbles of wealth established by the 1%, they tell stories of so-called success as well as failures, the wildly accepted unacceptable conditions, and everything that doesn’t sit right.
Their all-bullshit non-bullshit attitude shines through the self-titled album, and musically speaking, they nailed everything that makes up a good rock song. They know exactly the formula to make a die-hard rocker tick: soaring and feel-right guitar solos, raw and dirty vocals, and pure-energy drums. It’s safe to say that these guys know what they’re doing, but they’re no ordinary rock band.
“Stepdad Goatee” is a down-to-earth anthem that explores a familiar dysfunctional family drama revolving around four core characters: a creepy stepdad, an absent father, a mom who’s eager to move on, and a confused and angry child. The song tells the story from the child’s perspective, who’s innocently conflicted and heartbreakingly observant. “All these things aside, he’s got one redeeming trait; it’s something that you gave up, so you cannot relate; while you felt the need to move so far away; this creepy facial hair man, he really wants to stay,” the lyrics went, building up to the chant of “Stepdad goatee.”
Musically, Alpha Sub is addictively repetitive. Alpha Sub burns unapologetic melodies and eerily relatable lyrics into the back of your skull, almost always incidental but lasting. You simply can’t unhear the song in any way. Like all other songs, it offers a haunting look into the real issues that people often turn a blind eye to, but are often affected by them. The songs get under your skin, as they should be. Musically and lyrically, Alpha Sub excels at that level, but that’s not the band’s best feature.
Truthfully speaking, there are not a lot of punk bands that can achieve storytelling at their level. Most punk rockers can come up with a punchline and have a lot of opinions, but they don’t necessarily dive that deep into the storytelling. Alpha Sub is quite special in that sense. No matter the length, whether one minute or three minutes, every song contains the world of a feature film. Like the opening track that tells the bleak reality that many college graduates face — deep in debt only to “make an okay salary,” selling their soul to climb up the corporate ladder, but the wallet is still fatter.
Their songs hit differently, but in this space, there’s also a sense of liberty and relief associated with the expression of rage and injustice. Sonically, Alpha Sub creates a sacred space with an upbeat punk rhythm and rigid vocals. “Peaked in High School” is lyrically bleak, but there’s something awfully liberating about facing the namely worst fear with a chant.
“Downhill Battle” dives into a dark space, filled with aggression and chaotic energy, and the guitar lick is fierce and soulful. “Soapbox” makes witty commentaries about social media, while “No Friends” reverses back to a sense of childlike naivety while speaking the simplest and most painful truth about isolation, social anxiety, and the superficial quality of relationships.
Q&A With Alpha Sub
Punk Head: I'm absolutely loving the energy and attitude in this album. In your own words, what is this album about?
Alpha Sub: Our concept of an “Alpha Sub” is based around the illusion of success. Working and existing within a framework established by the 1%, with no real opportunity to actually graduate to the next level. Try as hard as you might, you’ll never get above. You’re lauded for having more than others within your own class, conditioning you to turn a blind eye to the real socio-economic injustices that you are willingly subjected to. You’re just the Alpha Sub.
It’s earning 10 cents to your boss’s dollar. It’s middle class indifference. It’s your $100k (with interest) English degree. It’s paying for health insurance just to have a procedure denied because it isn’t “covered.” It’s absurd, it’s degrading, and it’s accepted.
Alpha Sub’s music challenges this social contract that we were never asked to sign, but forced to oblige by. Our self-titled mostly focuses on deconstructing social norms, with themes surrounding toxic masculinity, keeping up appearances, identifying bias, nepotism, and just questioning anything that doesn’t feel right but has become the status quo.
How did the band come together? And why punk rock?
AS: Alpha Sub is the outcome of an idea that started in late 2019 when then-guitarist Dan and former bassist Dusty decided to create a band primarily based on their obsession with Descendents.
Over the next year, the band would lose and gain members and play under different names. Steve was the first choice to front the band based on his work with Beer Me. We had played with five different drummers who all found a way to not last, so Dan decided to make the switch from guitar to drums. Steve and Dan quickly agreed that Rooster would make the most sense to play guitar in the band. Rooster agreed and has been a huge part of Alpha Sub ever since. We later acquired Tim (through waivers) to play bass and Bub as the second guitarist. After years of putting the band together, it was the right mix of musicians and the right time.
Why punk rock? We have all been playing punk rock for many years in different bands and somehow were filtered into this band.
What is your favorite track and why?
AS: “Downhill Battle” probably best exemplifies the style we’re trying to achieve.
Where do inspirations for the songs take place?
AS: Lyrically, they’re derived from daily observations. Thinking critically about what we do, why we do it, and who we do it for. We’re not street punks but we’re also not yuppies. We’re middle-class dads supporting families, driving Toyotas, and mowing our own lawns. And we’re fucking pissed about it.
Musically, a lot of trial and error. Then when we are happy with a song, Steve cuts it in half.
How are the songs selected?
AS: We recorded some demos to get shows before Tim and Bub joined the band and picked half of those we wanted to record properly in addition to stuff we worked on with them.
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