Flipper has to have had one of the liveliest stories in punk rock history. The band has gone through several change ups due mostly to drug related deaths or other drug concerns, their switch over from Subterranean Records to Rick Rubens now defunct Zero Label is a story within itself, but more surprisingly is the story of a band that should have failed but never could. Love, recorded in 2008, is a testament to the old saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but why would you want to when your dog is already bad ass enough?

Flipper, despite the many change ups within the band, is still dirty punk rock. The first thought that came to mind was that this would be what it would sound like if you put on a Rollins Band album and tossed your stereo down the stairs, extension cord in hand of course. Love is an album that is loud like two cars coming together at high speeds and lead singer Bruce Loose spits out lyrics that are simple, basic, and without much depth with an animosity that doesn’t seem to have faltered much since he took over for 6 month front man Ricky Williams who was given the boot. Along on this album is former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic whose credited, along with the rest of the band, for writing the new material. Novoselic seemingly came and went after the recordings sighting family obligations opting not to tour with the band. His replacement, Rachel Thoele, is formerly of Frightwig. Other then that the sound remains the same.

Old school fans of the band will more then likely flock to the new album and those who have caught the late train for the old school American Punk sound will probably need a few listens to get used to what it is Flipper is all about. Either way the album stands as a statement that old school punk rock is in fact not dead.