It’s hard to fully explain how much I respect the hell out of Hot Water Music. This is a band that formed in 1994 and is still at it today with the majority of band members pushing 50 years old. That’s a hard task to do in the music business, let alone one as unrelentingly niche as punk rock. And then when you consider that 99% of the people in your life have probably never even remotely heard of them (as opposed to say a Green Day or a Blink-182) I think it makes their run even more remarkable. Here’s a crew that has steadily turned in album after album of top-tier material, continued to play relatively small clubs, and still have the same conviction in their message that they did 30 years prior. They haven’t just carved out a niche for themselves, they’ve owned the niche and welcomed others to join them along the way. Through sheer force of will they’ve become punk rock veteran stalwarts that represent everything the scene stands for.
Caution is the album that made Hot Water Music an indelible part of my soul when I first heard it in high school. Between the manic and gruff lead vocal stylings of Chuck Ragan who sounds like he’s spitting out smoky exhaust every time he steps up to the mic, the clean vocals and brutal rhythm guitar of Chris Wollard, the steady thump of drummer George Rebelo, and the gritty low end of bassist Jason Black, they found a sound perfectly crafted to exploring the meaning of life in as badass of a way as possible.
This is one of the favorite bands of your favorite punk band. And they’ll forever be legends.
Standout Songs: “Remedy”, “Trusty Chords”, “I Was On A Mountain”, “It’s All Related”, “Wayfarer”
