Tsunami Bomb Definitive Act CD

Too often in punk's past, the female-fronted acts typically found themselves heading in one of two directions--the seemingly wild, estrogen-fueled, usually-brash vocalist who'll pay more attention to the show than the music, or the cutesy, bubbly princess vocalists that often lack the biting, decisive edge required to maintain an audience's attention.Tsunami Bomb is one of the rare and fortunate exceptions. Fronted by the pristine yet powerful vocals of AGENT M. (who claims Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong as a primary influence) and backed by a remarkable bassist MATT MCKENZIE, drummer GABE LINDEMAN and guitarist JAY NORTHINGTON, Tsunami Bomb has indeed effectively straddled the line of offering an potent, engaging live show, replete with enough stage energy to power an entire city block, without sacrificing their seasoned musicianship and attention to detail. Perhaps it's that winning combination that has led the act to such great success since its inception in northern Bay Area city of Petaluma, Calif. in the late '90s.The band's rapid adventure began with a 1999 seven-inch release on Checkmate Records, a label owned and operated by A.F.I. bassist Hunter. Just over a year later, Tsunami Bomb released their first CD, the six-song The Invasion From Within. A line-up shift and a short stint on the Vans Warped Tour followed in 2001 and the group began attaining notoriety outside their immediate area for their unique combination of driving melodic punk and poignant, powerful lead vocals, not to mention their evolving stage presentation.Immediately after a second Warped Tour outing in 2002, Tsunami Bomb introduced their much-anticipated debut full-length, The Ultimate Escape, which grew to become one of the most successful debut releases on the Kung Fu Records roster. For most audiences, The Ultimate Escape was their first taste of Tsunami Bomb's recorded presence and praise about the group began spreading like wildfire.Hitting the road again upon their album's release, Tsunami Bomb soon found themselves not just as the occasional touring band, but as proven, determined road warriors in 2003, touring throughout the U.S. and Canada, plus an extensive European tour with The Vandals and an appearance in Japan. That summer, the band had returned for a third Warped Tour appearance, this time propelling the main stage for a solid third of the dates. "It's such a huge punk rock event," M says. "We were really grateful to be able to do that. It was awesome."After rounding out their banner year with a successful outing with the Bouncing Souls, Tsunami Bomb entered the studio in early 2004 to record their second full-length offering, THE DEFINITIVE ACT, for Kung Fu Records. The foursome spent over a month in Boston laying their tracks with producer (and former Hot Rod Circuit drummer) Mike Poorman.The resulting album is an innovative collection of Tsunami Bomb's signature melodic, alluring and engaging punk rock anthems. "Dawn Of A Funeral Day" showcases the more angular, dynamic side of the group, while "5150" spotlights AGENT M's seamless vocal delivery. The straightforward "A Lonely Chord" offers M's flourishing multi-part chorus harmonies, punctuated by the driving drum fills of LINDEMAN and the moody "Epic" changes course at the drop of a hat, including breakdowns driven by the melodic bass lines of MCKENZIE, eventually tapering off with fragile guitar pickings.Equal parts introspective and propulsive, soothing and charging, THE DEFINITIVE ACT is, to date, Tsunami Bomb most varied and finest effort, building upon a remarkable spectrum of the band's history of vibrant compositions. Straddling the line of melodic and musical, yet powerful and persuasive, THE DEFINITIVE ACT furthers Tsunami Bomb's trailblazing presence in a field of one."I think that when you're not part of the stereotype, you'll get a little bit more attention," M says. "I just wanted to have good, solid melodies and also try and develop my own style over the years."

AAlternative Press (p.146) - "[E]xpansive pop-punk...and at least a dozen other stylistic turns..." - 4 out of 5