Karate High School
Invaders
Eyeball Record
8/10
Fuck. Yes. Where pop punk has become mired in shitty haircuts and band members taking themselves seriously, Karate High School remembers that pop punk should be about having fun, making jokes and of course, three-chord-catchy-as-fuck songs. It does not hurt that they have songs about two of my favorite things: zombies and robots. From the second that “Zombies Everywhere” blasted from my speakers, I was hooked.
Starting off with a catchy little chorus was just the beginning, moving into the realms of robot girlfriends, home turf pride and even making fun of the teenage version of themselves, Karate High School has a great deal of my respect. If you are a PETA-member, anarchist, or get worked up by the word “partisan,” don’t touch this album, you obviously don’t have the breadth of humor required to enjoy anything but your own superiority. My one bitch: KHS listen up. “Arcade Rock” is a genre already. You are not in it.
– Jonathan Yost