EVIL POWERS OF ROCK AND ROLL

Gurgling up from the depths of hell, the first straight punk-rock record from the Supersuckers since 1995's Sacrilicious has only four things on its gloriously infantile mind: drugs, sex, fisticuffs, and boozy, rip-roaring rock & roll. "Forces" uses the formula to unleash the finest example of tongue-in-cheek, perpetually adolescent, head-banging chaos this side of the Ramones. After 1997's all-country Must've Been High, the boys do seem to have picked up some additional songwriting skills, as this set is virtually filler-free and packed with choice, catchy riffs. "Hot Like the Sun" starts off as a typically dirty-minded ode to the sexual chase, but then downshifts midsong into grungy minor chords and dark melodicism as lead singer Eddie Spaghetti explores a more somber take on the song's title. Still, the emphasis here is on exploiting the Supersuckers' unholy, take-no-prisoners approach, imbuing lightning-fast scorchers like "I Want the Drugs" with their particular guitar-driven mojo. Nobody's supposed to make punk music rock like this anymore, but when these guys are on their game, it's a given. --Matthew Cooke