Review Summary: You either love it or hate it
Formed in 1990 by Scott Sturgeon (aka Stza) after growing up in New York and running away from his mother's to be homeless and abuse drugs, Choking Victim (originally called No Commercial Value) was a way to unbridledly tell audiences about his nihilistic and political views. No Gods / No Managers (Hellcat, 1999) unquestionably defines Stza's signature guitar tone, a fusion of high energy metal riffs behind pop scales with quick and clean ska upstroking. Vocally, Stza switches between screeching borrowed from black metal and a grimy hardcore style accenting their lyrics.
Considering his backstory, there’s an added sincerity to their songs, with sentiments regarding depression (F***ed Reality, Suicide, In Hell, In My Grave) being anti-establishment (Living the Laws, Money, F*** America, Hate Yer State), shoplifting (Five Finger Discount), and TV culture (500 Channels). When you think of the words “punk rock” this band’s sound should come to mind. Gang vocals, tales of mischief and rebellious attitude, with a few tracks providing a breath of fresh air from the chaos. Crack Rock Steady is a tongue in cheek reggae tune about killing policemen, and Praise to the Sinners is an acoustic-based instrumental. The closing track Living the Laws attempts to have a straightforward metalcore hook after verses backed by dub guitar.
Despite Stza’s frequent guttural inflections, this band’s heaviness is found in his unique style of playing. While undeniably a ska project, roots in New York Hardcore are shown with the sheer speed of each track. I'd be dishonest to call this the fastest band but it’s noticeably impressive how tight these performances are and not distractingly so. Throughout the record there’s prevalent samples of an interview with socialist speaker and fellow New Yorker Michael Parenti. Whether or not you get something out of the music, this band’s thought provoking nature might provide such. Would recommend to fans of crossover thrash, pop punk and 90’s-00’s PHC.
