Vancouver, B.C.'s The Black Halos long for the heady punk days of the late '70s when black clothing was the mandate, CBGB's was still the place to be and guitars were worn hanging down around the knees. This eponymous recording captures that spirit of rock 'n' roll rebellion. The sound is definitely classic, downtown-NYC punk, with nothing "California" about it -- no pop influences, no songs about girls or Star Wars, no catchy, hooky melodies -- and the tempo is more in the mid-range too. Think early Ramones sans playfulness or Canadian Sex Pistols minus several levels of shock value. I'm not quite as turned on by this disc as I am by other punk because it's so serious -- there's no tongue-in-cheek. On the other hand, I have no doubt that this attitude would get me pummeled by the type of hardcore punks that this disc is sure to appeal to. If gritty, growling, serious rock 'n' roll is your thing, please don't beat me up; just go buy a copy of The Black Halos.