New York City-based alternative punk band Dead Waves released their first EP, Kill The Youth, this past June, and wasted no time coming out with the follow-up. The group consists of drummer Fabien Streit and brothers Ted (bass/screams) and Nick (guitars/vocals) Panopoulos.
Take Me Away is brief, made up of only six songs, and adds up to be about 15 minutes in length. The tracks themselves are short and simple, as the band draws from the old-school punk and grunge music that they grew up with. The opening track, “Planet Of Tribes,” consists of Ted Panopoulos’ frenzied, wailing vocals and thrashing drums with a classic punk beat, creating just over a minute and a half of in-your-face chaos. However, as soon as it comes to an end, this manic energy is lost. While the EP is still lively, it doesn’t come close to the power that it gets set up to have.
Calmer songs, such as “Anamoly” and “Big Fish,” feature nearly inaudible vocals with indistinguishable lyrics and Nick Panopoulos’ droning, mellow vocals. “Over Me” is especially reminiscent of ’90s grunge, and shows a direct influence from Nirvana with its structure and Panopoulos’ voice.
The entire EP seems to be more of an ode to Nirvana than anything else at times. Take Me Away isn’t a bad disc, but often feels like it is made up of recycled material. This is why it is so disappointing the vibe found in “Planet Of Tribes” was lacking throughout the rest of the record. They are a tight band, but must figure out their own sound.
In A Word: Reused
