Melbourne pop-punks Drastic Park have released a new EP Compound Fracture. Produced and mixed by Alan Day (Four Year Strong, Knuckle Puck, Seaway), engineered by Declan White (Deadlights, Thornhill, Belle Haven) and mastered by Jay Maas (Defeater, State Champs, Citizen), Compound Fracture is a collection of songs which highlights the growth of Drastic Park’s songwriting abilities. Packing catchy melodies, choruses and hooks accompanied by the odd heavy breakdown, the band continue to forge their own sound. A little from the past with a touch of the new, Compound Fracture introduces the group's fourth member, Elise (also of Excuse For An Exit) on guitar and backing vocals. Elise's contributions helped the band to inject heavier tones into their music and evolve their musicality.
Compound Fracture arrives accompanied by the video for the focus track Brightside, a song that perfectly displays the band's sonic evolution. Speaking on the track, frontman John Stokes offers “Brightside is about being brought up to follow in someone else’s footsteps - moulding yourself to their view of what they feel is healthy or right for you in life, but deciding somewhere along the way (after feeling lost trying to follow along) that you prefer to find your own way and enjoy your own highs. It can also relate to people in toxic relationships where the person you are with makes your life miserable, by wanting you to be who they want you to be. The big chorus is about breaking away from those shackles.”
The Mediaroid-produced video was this morning added to ABC TV's RAGE and brings together pop-punk and pro-wrestling, utilising Australian pro-wrestling talent from the Renegades of Wrestling and Wrestlerock promotions, to hammer home the song's lyrical narrative.
To celebrate the arrival of Brightside Drastic Park have given us a list of their top five music videos that perfectly blend punk rock with wrestling.
Drastic Park: "Pop Punk and Wrestling go together like, well… Pop and Punk!" So… to celebrate our latest music video for Brightside, a heavy Pop Punk SMACKDOWN which features a whole heap of wrestling mayhem (thanks to Wrestlerock and Renegades of Wrestling), we have decided go give you our top 5 music videos that have perfectly blended Pop Punk with wrestling. We’ve chosen these videos based on whether the video features a guest pro wrestler, the band performing in the ring or just cutting to real life wrestling footage (just like our music video for Brightside does!)
5. The Wonder Years - Melrose Diner
DP: "This one is an absolute CLASSIC! The song alone is a f***ing banger, but we love the absolute chaotic energy the music video brings. Backyard wrestling at its finest with a wrestling ring big enough to fit an entire 6 piece in! The Melrose Diner music video just has so many old school pop punk music video vibes that gets us super nostalgic."
4. Bowling for Soup - Alexa Bliss
DP: "This is a fun one to include! Fun Fact: Alexa Bliss is a pro wrestler who is a massive Bowling for Soup fan - and it turns out Bowling for Soup are massive Alexa Bliss fans too and wrote a song just for her. The music video is full of plenty of cameos from Alexa herself, including a scene where she gets in the ring herself. We also love that this music video heroes Women’s Wrestling (just like ours does!)."
3. Wavves - Way Too Much
DP: "This one is so damn gritty and raw. Not just the song, but the music video too. It’s very simple but very effective! The band intercut their performance with real wrestling footage, and probably the most realistic and gnarly wrestling footage you can in a music video (yeah, that’s real blood). At 2:16 you can also find the singer, Nathan himself, sitting in the crowd watching the show!"
2. Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
DP: "Alright alright, this is a bit of a stretch as Pop Punk… but the vibe of the music video is Pop Punk enough, especially when everyone has that iconic early 2000s style! This is easily the most famous of all of them so we couldn’t not include it. The music video starts IMMEDIATELY with the band playing in the ring and we are all about it."
1. Grayscale - If I Ever See You Again
DP: "This music video just has to get #1 because it has it all! Now this is something we were not brave enough to do! Actually, fight in the wrestling ring ourselves! The story of this music video is so great - it features their actual drummer Nick being kicked out of the band and replaced with another drummer. He gets p***ed off and accidentally takes out his rage on a wrestler! At the end of the music video, he confronts the band before they accept him back into the band. But what does he do to his replacement? GIVE HIM THE CHAIR!"
Compound Fracture is out now.
Drastic Park are hitting the road in support of Compound Fracture.
DRASTIC PARK
COMPOUND FRACTURE TOUR
with special guests
Down And Out
Sep 23 - The Burdekin Hotel, Sydney NSW - Tickets
Sep 28 - The Bergy Band Room, Melbourne VIC - Tickets
Sep 29 - Lowlife Bar, Adelaide SA - Tickets
