Debut full length for Finnish punk quartet Part Time Killer available in CD, LP and digital format. Fast melodic punk rock for fans of Bad Religion and Pennywise. Album includes an **Australian Bonus Track. facebook.com/parttimekillerband
Pressing:
500 x CDs – SOLD OUT
REVIEWS:
Idle and the Bear [USA]
PART TIME KILLER – People. Religion. Death
Part Time Killer is a Finnish punk band and they rock. Out of the four members, three of them (Alex, Antti, and Tero) have been playing music together since the 1990s under the name Flippin Beans. However, in 2007, FB lost their drummer and broke up. However, the band was lucky enough to find new drummer Emil and so Part Time Killer was born. PTK is great- they have politically driven, strong and talented music that I love. They released People. Religion. Death. in March of this year. The album starts off by startling you with a scary intro- a prediction of the world in 2030. It describes a desolate, melting, destroyed Earth caused by the people. And to be honest, they are probably correct. It talks about war, WMD, cutting down trees, and nuclear engineering. What’s even more depressing, they’re also probably correct in the fact that even when this happens, the people will still not take the blame for what we’re doing to the earth. It goes straight into “Heartbreaking Music”, which is such a great song. You might be thinking “Hey, a Lagwagon cover!” But shut up, because it isn’t. It’s just the same title. This song is actually about touring- ” “Another amazing town, another amazing crowd, another amazing song but no one sings along. And it’s breaking my heart. This is heartbreaking music,” is such a great description of what it’s like for so many bands. I was immediately pleasantly surprised with the strong velocity in People. Religion. Death. You know, not that Fuck The World was lacking in velocity. “Saving The World” really shows the skate punk in PTK. Like the entire album, it’s fast paced and heavy on gang vocals. It’s an awesome combination of the simplicity of punk music, and then complicated awesome melodies. This is the kind of music you really want to knit sweaters to. … No, that’s a total lie guys. You want to kick someone’s ass to it. Or hit up the slampiece. You choose. “15 Minutes of Fame” is catchy as hell. They throw in some ‘woah oh’s in this track! This album, as I said, is extremely powerful lyric-wise. Tracks like “Freedom Fight?” attack the current war situation going on all over the world, and “Church and State” is self explanatory. “Church and State” has an awesome intro and then picks back up into the driven, powerful theme of the album. “Anti-Everything” was also on the Fuck the World 7″, but this time, it includes Sammi from St. Hood. It sounds so awesome. I love the guitar on it! “Perfect Crime” is so addictive, it’s the one track on the album I CANNOT stop listening to. Everything ties together awesomely and it rocks. The other tracks are “Days of Insanity” (awesome drums) and “War.” Every single track on this album was wonderful. As a first full length, I wish I could say it surprised me, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from such a great band.
World’s Appreciated Kitsch [Greece]
PART TIME KILLER – People. Religion. Death
Part Time Killer is a band based in Lahti, Finland and consists of 3/4 members of the punk rock band Flippin’ Beans (active from 1996-2007, with releases out by Fullhouse Records). People.religion.death is their first full length, following their ‘Fuck the world’ 7″ and the 3way split with Jet Market and Burning Fiction, and it was released by the Australian label, Pee Records. The album includes 12 songs of melodic 90s skate punk rock in the vein of Pennywise, Satanic Surfers, H2O, Lagwagon and Millencolin. Fans of the Fat Wreck / early Epitaph sound know the deal. Part Time Killer deliver positive vibes via their uplifting, ultra melodic punk rock tunes, fueled with loads of energy and passion. The guitar riffs and the vocal structure are sooo catchy that will definitely make you bang your head and sing-along, no matter if you listen to their record alone in your room a Saturday night or in the metro while heading to work early in Monday morning! Part Time Killer know how to write punk rock songs that sound fresh and unique, songs that will change your mood and fill your mind with positive thinking. This is punk rock 2011. Listen to Part Time Killer.
P.S. I couldn’t find better lyrics to describe my feelings while I’m on a show / tour, than the following by Part Time Killer…‘Another night and I’m sleeping on the floor, it’s cold and there’s no door, 1000 miles from home, feeling so tired after the show. I would like to sleep but we have to go. 1000 miles away from home, ’cause it’s time for another amazing town, another amazing crowd, another amazing song but no one sings along and it’s breaking my heart. This is heartbreaking music. I live for the music, I breathe for the music, this is my life till the day I’ll die. I’m 1000 miles away from home, I’ll give you my heart, I’ll give you my soul, every single night on this tour…
PEE #47
PART TIME KILLER – People. Religion. Death
Ok, I say this every time a band like this pops up. Waves of nostalgia take over my rapidly aging ass and bring back memories of the funnest times of my youth. Skate punk once dominated the whole punk/ hardcore scene and was the soundtrack to the surf and sun beer soaked carefree fun of my late teens and early twenties. Fast forward 15 years and a band called Part Time Killer forms from the ashes of Flippin’ Beans and continues to carry the flag proud for fast guitar driven punk rock. PTK ooze the same juice as classic bands of the genre like No Fun At All, Pridebowl, Ten Foot Pole, Satanic Surfers, Bad Religion, Pennywise etc etc. Following on from their 7” ‘Fuck The World’ and 3 way split 7” (with fellow Pee band Burning Fiction and Italian punks Jet Market), People. Religion. Death is their debut full length that is available on cd and also a gatefold version on clear wax for the vinyl junkies. The 12 tracks (inc. ‘Your Life Story’ off the 7”) here pump along pretty flat out beginning to end with a fluent delivery of 90’s influenced skate punk. Yep, Pete’s radar picked up a goody here. I don’t know how he does it so cheap still but you can get yerself a cd or lp for a miniscule 18 bucks delivered. Onya bud. Makes me wish I still had my flexdeck.
Rating: 88 – Review by: Macca
ThePunkSite.com [Canada]
PART TIME KILLER – People. Religion. Death
“1000 miles away from home, and I’ll give you my heart, I’ll give you my soul, every single night on this tour, and it’s time for another amazing town, another amazing crowd, another amazing song, but no one sings along, and it’s breaking my heart,” sings vocalist Alex, voicing the plight of small bands everywhere on “Heartbreaking Music,” the opening track of Part Time Killer’s debut full length, People. Religion. Death. Originating from Lahti, Finland, the energetic four-piece embraces the DIY ethos of 90’s melodic skate punk in the vein of Bad Religion and Pennywise. They celebrate a classic, dying sound with a European twist perfect for those still hung up over Epitaph Records’ turn of the century shift. Now if Alex’s sloppy, heavily accented voice (think Millencolin) rings a bell, you might remember him from his previous band, Flippin’ Beans (I was ready to make the comparison even before the band bio corrected me). A relic existing the decade they pull their inspiration from, Flippin’ Beans called it a day in 2007 only to update their sound and relaunch with a new drummer a year later under the moniker Part Time Killer. People. Religion. Death. is a natural progression in the band’s long history. If Flippin’ Beans could be faulted for being a little too faithful to that early Millencolin sound, Part Time Killer acknowledges that even classic acts evolve over time. Inserting hints of 80’s hardcore and rock, the quartet sharpens their teeth and hones their instrumental aggression. “Teenage Tragedy” and “Saving The World” boast a razor sharp intro and reoccurring guitar solos, making every second of the track’s 1:34 run time heavy and distinct. Thick, full bass lines thump rebelliously at the foundation of tracks like “Anti-Everything,” accenting those chorus-enhancing guitar licks. Sami St. Hood (St. Hood) makes a guest appearance on “Story Of Your Life,” highlighting the instrumental inspiration of select tracks with New York City hardcore in the vein of Killing Time. Meshed together under a comforting blanket of classic, bouncy punk rock full of Bad Religion inspired backing woahs and vocal harmonies, and steady No Use For A Name drumming, Part Time Killer infuse a contemporary outlook with classic EpiFat sensibilities. Lyrically, the four-piece walks on the same path as their source material, sticking thematically close to their album title. Most explicitly, songs like “Perfect Crime” and “Days of Insanity” speak out against religious corruption, and “Church And State” scolds religious groups for shaping government policies and agendas. Other topics include genocide (“War”) and the conscience of war (“Freedom Fight”). While all typical and never overtly profound, the subject matter remains just as relevant today as it did ten or twenty years ago – albeit less original. Picking up right where Flippin’ Beans left off,Part Time Killer is a new incarnation of a familiar sound. People. Religion. Death. combines just enough of the old with the new to justify the relaunch. With a light peppering of heavy solos and hardcore mechanics, People. Religion. Death. is a safe and satisfying throwback for anyone with an appreciation for hook heavy melody and steady, political street punk.
Rating: 3/5 – Review by: Cole Faulkner
!upstarter Punk Reviews [USA]
PART TIME KILLER – People. Religion. Death
One of the best parts of doing what I do (whatever that is) is getting music from across the globe. Right now I’m listening to People. Religion. Death from Finnish band Part Time Killers, a punk rock quartet from Lahti Finland. The sound is familiar punk with a hardcore backbone much like H2O with a more melodic core and the charming accented vocals that you only get with someone singing in English with a pronounced accent. As a side note, the Finnish language is one of the most isolated languages in the world with only very loose ties to an old Hungarian dialect. (If any linguists are reading this, I hope I didn’t butcher that. It just came to mind from something I read a while back) People. Religion. Death kicks out 12 tracks, all of which clock in at under three minutes. I’m a fan of that. In today’s modern age, who has time for longer songs? Not this guy. Of note, I’m never a big fan of pointless guitar solos. The solos on this disc are short, discreet and compliment the tunes. They are an added bonus instead of the pointless wanking that so much guitar work can be. To sum it up, Part Time Killers = good. People. Religion. Death = good new CD with a fresh coat of paint on a familiar sound. Review by: Jerry Actually
DyingScene.com [USA]
PART TIME KILLER – People. Religion. Death
I’m a child of the 90’s and as a result my punk rock roots are, like many others, in the So-Cal, skate punk era that saw the rise of what is now referred to as the Epi-Fat sound. Skate punk in the modern day has fleeting moments of brilliance but it’s somewhat fading…fast. This isn’t to say that there aren’t bands out there doing it and doing it well. Finnish band, Part Time Killer is a perfect example of a band still doing the punk scene proud. The band rose from the ashes of Flippin’ Beans and there have been a constant flow of releases since the band’s inception. A 7 inch, a 3 way split and now a full-length is a release schedule that would put some of their bigger contemporaries to shame. Their first full length People. Religion. Death. continues down the same road as the band’s previous efforts with more vigour and passion than I thought was ever possible. It’s not that “Fuck The World” was lacking in ferocity, but the full-length definitely takes it to the next level. Opener, “Heartbreaking Music” is not a Lagwagon cover like most would think but it does give an insight to a band that tours hard, produces music constantly but fails to reap the rewards from a scene that continues to take. “Another amazing town, another amazing crowd, another amazing song but no one sings along. And it’s breaking my heart. This is heartbreaking music,” is a particular stand out lyric if only for the fact that I want to yell it back to them at a show to let them know this is amazing music. Back to the music. The album is fast-paced from the minute it starts to the second it ends. The album is heavy on gang vocals, evident in “15 Minutes of Fame” and “Teenage Riot” which bust out the whoas in the most appropriate places. The simple three chord guitar ethos of skate punk bands gone by is employed here but with a structured attack that many modern day bands are missing and “Weight of the World” is a prime example of this. “Anti-Everything” could almost be a lyrical spit against Gen Y but mainly focuses on faith yet it has that melodic hook which will ensure a crowd singing along to every word. “Your Life Story” was included on the “Fuck the World” 7 inch but the album version features Sammi from Finnish hardcore band, St. Hood whose gritty vocals add an unexpected element, anger. Lyrically the album covers issues plaguing modern day society, as outlined in the album title, it meanders through topics of people, religion and death. Not always glamorous topics but important nonetheless. It’s extremely political in some views without being overly preachy, a shining testament to the song writing ability of the band. “Freedom Fight?” is one that addresses war, an issue which many of us are now so conditioned to that we’re almost blind to it. The strength in this album is that it never attempts to be something that it’s not. There are no over-the-top, wanky breakdowns, there are no slow numbers; there is not a single song in the album that doesn’t fit with the overall picture of the band. The album is solid, passionate, and furious without being overtly technical. If most bands did simplicity as well as PTK then punk rock would be a better place. Part Time Killer are doing skate punk in 2011 the way it should have always been done…well.
Rating: 4/5 – Review by: Brittles
Lights Go Out zine #13 [UK]
PART TIME KILLER – People. Religion. Death
Skate punk played at a ferocious pace! Hailing from Finland, Part Time Punk hold qualities of Bad Religion mixing it up with the likes of bands like Samiam. The pure speed of which these guys play at cannot fail to impress. I imagine a live show to be a very sweaty affair with kids going mental. “Weight Of The World” seems to even borrow a Bad Religion riff at points, but this is not a carbon copy, Part Time Punk do have their own ID. Just when I think that decent skate punk is a thing of the past this album pops up to reinforce to me just how great this genre is and just how good some bands can be. The recording and mixing on here is totally spot on as well. Part Time Killer need to get over to the UK and play some shows, really impressed with this lot! When I say that this album is fucking ace, I really bloody mean it. Check it out! Review by: Mr. T
NewsHit
PART TIME KILLER – People. Religion. Death
Formed from the ashes of the now defunct Flippin’ Beans, Pee Records were quick to add Part Time Killer to the label’s ever growing roster of international artists. Despite their short time together, this Finnish punk-rock four piece have already managed to put out two high quality releases; a three way split album with Burning Fiction and Jet Market, as well as a 7 inch record entitled Fuck the World. However, as enjoyable as those two releases were, it now seems that they were really only a taste of what was to come. People. Religion. Death is Part Time Killer’s first full length album, and the result is twenty-seven minutes of energetic and impassioned punk-rock that sounds exactly like it could have been released fifteen years ago during the glorious 1990s heyday of skate punk. For the most part, Part Time Killer stick to relatively short and simplistic compositions, with most songs building from quick paced verses to highly melodious and memorable choruses. What makes the release so enjoyable to listen to is the fact that the group’s enthusiasm for skate punk literally oozes from their music; “Teenage Riot” may sound exactly like a Bad Religion track, right down to the three part vocal harmonies and six second guitar solo, but the band’s audible passion for the genre makes their songs incredibly infectious. There may be plenty of groups out there who are more technically proficient or more adventurous when structuring their songs, but few are able to match the fervour that Part Time Killer bring to the table. As far as highlights go, the opening pair of “Heartbreaking Music” and “Saving the World” is hard to top speed-wise. Both gallop at near supersonic levels, propelled largely by the group’s tightly constructed chord riffs. Surprisingly however, Part Time Killer proves with “15 Minutes of Fame,” that they are equally proficient at knocking out mid-paced tunes that sound almost radio-friendly. It sounds like it could get played on Short. Fast. Loud anyway. Ultimately though, it is a testament to the group’s song writing talents that People. Religion. Death is an album which is best listened to from start to finish; the songs seem to flow together perfectly, with each contributing to what is overall a very solid collection of tracks. Pee Records have put out a lot of good releases to the likes of If This is How it Has to Be by Bad Day Down, and With Trends Like These… by Damn the Empire. People. Religion. Death is no exception. With their lightning-paced and highly melodious compositions, Part Time Killer is a band not afraid of being derivative if it means that they can make a good record. This is a highly recommended album for fans of punk rock, especially those with a taste for 90s era skate punk. Review by: Matthew Woodward
RELEASE DATE:
18 March 2011
Also Available From:
CREDITS:
CAT #: PCD040
Recorded by: Toni Kimpimäki @ Redfive Studio
Mixed by: Antti Malinen
Mastered by: Jaakko Viitalähde @ Virtalähde Audio
Artwork by: Pete Pee
