Holy 2005, Batman! On their debut long player, Utrecht, Netherlands–based Sick Shooters take me back to the heyday of garage punk/power pop mash-ups. The perfectly tiled Super Sonic Rock Saga blasts through 11 tracks of blistering punk rock 'n' roll with relentless power pop hooks in 28 thrilling minutes. This is an all-killer, no-filler affair from start to finish. Think first generation punk-pop (Buzzcocks, Undertones, Boys) if you gave it a '90s garage punk kick in the pants and and then injected it with a modern-day youthful exuberance. If I made a playlist of the stuff I was listening to two decades ago (Kidnappers, Manikins, The Heartattacks, Marked Men, etc.), any of these songs would fit right in. Yet the sound of this record is totally fresh and exciting — proving the timelessness of this type of music when it's done right. There aren't really many new bands like this these days — especially not ones made up of folks in their early 20s.
What a breath of fresh air this album is! It delivers a perfect mix of scorching punk rock 'n' roll tracks ("Evacuation," "Gambling Girl," "Never Comin Home"), more power pop leaning numbers ("Daisy," "Sweet Telephone," "Holding On"), and a few that split the difference ("Heartbreaker Soulshaker," "Supersonic Lovin," "In Between"). A couple of my influential friends have already weighed in with ringing endorsements, and I will happily add my voice to the chorus of acclaim. 2026 is stacking up to be perhaps the most loaded year for new music in decades, but Super Sonic Rock Saga will absolutely have a spot near the top of my year-end albums list. When it comes to just about everything I love in music, this record hits the target dead-center. Get it from Wap Shoo Wap Records in Amsterdam. Is it just me, or is The Netherlands turning into the epicenter for everything that's awesome?
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