Something is in the water in Orlando and the remnants of an actual scene are popping up all around. Go Rydell seems to be one of the flag ship bands for a melodic hardcore revival in a city that has waves of bands and scenes that go by way too fast. With Go Rydell’s first full length effort The Golden Age it seems like they can garner an even bigger following throughout the country. The word full length can be used lightly considering the record is only 15 minutes long and that is the downfall to the whole record, because after those 15 minutes you just want to start it over again.

As far as Go Rydell’s sound they draw a lot of influence from the legendary Kid Dynamite. So basically they play lightning fast songs with abrasive vocals and a pop punk sensibility. I don’t use the word abrasive lightly either. I’m pretty sure lead singer Chris Scaduto does not smoke, but whatever he does to sound like he does is pretty impressive. The lyrics are rather straight forward and follow a very interesting song structure. Scaduto seems to follow two rules very closely. Each song is more like a paragraph set to music and he never repeats anything twice. That’s right, there are no big catchy hooks just the occasional “whoa-oh” and gang vocal part. This might make the band less appealing to some pop punk fans, but it works somehow.

Sharing the same age as Scaduto makes relating to these lyrics ten times easier then an older musician. Most of the songs on The Golden Age deal with growing up and making those important decisions that will stay with you for the rest of your adult life. “Levittown, IL” deals with missing where your roots are. Being a transient as well, it’s easy to understand Scaduto’s yearning and loss. Despite it all though, Scaduto remains positive and uplifting at times.

The real backbone of Go Rydell though is their rhythm section. Not to discredit the guitar work, but Brian Poehler’s ability to stop on a dime at a relentless speed just leaves you to wonder what he’s going to do next. The bass is just as driving; Sean Dolan likes it crunchy and manages to play some really catchy bass lines while at the same time keeping it simple. He even applies some noodly Descendents like work during a few of the songs. Together they are an unstoppable force even knocking out catchy breakdowns here and there.

Overall, The Golden Age is a solid debut and I can only hope for more releases from these guys in the near future. The album is free for download on their label’s website and the record is also for sale on the website. Go Rydell recently got added to The Fest 9 in Gainesville alongside legendary bands like the Suicide Machines and Leatherface, so hopefully these guys will get the attention they rightfully deserve.