River City Rebels offer a steaming pile of sickeningly generic ska-punk on their Victory Records debut, Racism, Religion, and War... There is absolutely nothing of any significant note contained within this 14-track album, just bland songs that halfheartedly try to make a statement. Ska as a musical form is not quite effective at delivering any sort of massive statement on the world, as its upbeat nature in itself harms serious lyrics. Each song on this album feels more like a joke than some testament to the shape of America in the 20th century. Even the cover art is laughable, as the man's photograph looks vaguely similar to Robert Patrick, best known for his role in Terminator 2. This figure standing in front of an American flag makes you expect an album full of lines such as "Have you seen this boy?," and when
River City Rebels don't deliver, one feels cheated. There is nothing rebellious here, only a sophomoric joke. ~ Jason D. Taylor