F

On first examination, one may have to double-check the front of F's @#S! to be sure it doesn't say Spinal Tap II: The Punk Rock Years. With song titles like "I Wanna Kill," "Life Sucks," and "We Are the Hate," it's interesting to note that punk's nihilistic attitude, which was its clarion call more than 25 years ago, is now sort of quaint, even amusing.

You see, this Broward quarter is coming from an era in punk rock that existed before the hardcore uniform of tattoos, black clothing, and shaved heads had elbowed out the DIY spirit that made this type of music such a revitalizing force. Once upon a time there was a fine line between Black Sabbath and Black Flag. F knows this and proudly wears its retro roots like a badge of honor.

Lead vocalist F (from whom the band takes its name) sounds a bit like Rob Tyner from Detroit's protopunk MC5, especially when he sings in the upper range of his voice. F's song lyrics are pretty sophomoric, but true to form in terms of the corner of the genre that it's staked out as its own.

Lyrical content notwithstanding, the band's studio performance is actually quite good, reminiscent of old-school stalwarts like the Dictators, the Dead Boys, Kiss, and early Misfits. There's certainly nothing groundbreaking going on here, but isn't it nice to know there's still someone playing that good old death-punk your parents used to listen to?