Friday, April 03, 2026

Brad Marino - Agent of Chaos


Well look what we have here: the long-awaited fifth studio album from the man himself, Mr. Brad Marino! Out today on Spaghetty Town Records, Ghost Highway Recordings, and Beluga Records, Agent of Chaos will disappoint absolutely no one. If you're looking for a Brad Marino album that sounds like a Brad Marino album, this will hit the mark and then some. There's really nobody better at doing this sort of driving rock 'n' roll with a punk influence and pop hooks. Marino, backed by Gene Champagne, Bobby Davis, Zack Sprague, Ron Mullens, Dave Strong, James Cap Nunn, and Caity Marino, has delivered an album that may very well be his best yet. As always, his choruses are catchy, his guitar licks are tasty, and his lyrics are sneaky clever. Agent of Chaos comes through with a little something for everyone. From the classic '60s pop of "Dissin' and Dismissin'" to the straight Ramones energy of "Sick of You" to the country vibes of "Devil May Care" to the timeless rock 'n' roll of "I Don't Want You Anymore" to the Jesus and Mary Chain inspired dark-pop of "Murder and Violence" to the straight-forward power pop of "Voodoo" to the butt-kicking fury of "Calling Your Bluff" to the pure pop majesty of "Lost Without You" and "Make This Last," Marino hits all the sweet spots. The man sure can write a song, and he can always be counted on to sing and perform it with gusto. 

Given that it has been nearly two-and-half years since Grin and Bear It came out, fans have certainly been waiting a while for a new Brad Marino LP. And Agent of Chaos has turned out to be every bit worth the wait. It's hard to find a sub-par or even less-than-stellar track in the bunch. A Brad Marino LP is always a lock to be way up there on my end-of-the-year top albums list. Even in a year that's as insanely stacked as this one promises to be, Agent of Chaos will certainly end up near the top of the heap when I publish my final rankings. As consistent as Marino has been as a recording artist, it would be easy to overlook what a great run he's been on over the last several years. But that kind of dependability ought to be appreciated and enjoyed. Flavors of the month come and go, but tried-and-true, high-quality rock 'n' roll never goes out of style. Agent of Chaos is a monster of a record, and I can name three premier record labels that are literally vouching for that!

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