Philadelphia hardcore act Cop Problem debuts with this eponymous EP, three songs of d-beat-inf(l)ected hardcore dashed with crust and hints of grind. Formed in 2010 around the duo of guitarist Randon Martin and drummer Joshua Cohen, Cop Problem added Donny Mutt on bass and Cohen’s sister Deb on vocals, the latter joining when a previous singer couldn’t make it to a gig.
The whole of this record is just under nine minutes long, but the band makes good use of most of them, particularly the first and last tracks. Opening with the straight-ahead “Monuments,” Cop Problem establishes itself as a political hardcore beast early on — that song begins with an ominous half-time instrumental section before picking up the pace and dropping into staccato chords beneath Deb Cohen’s screamed lyrical introduction of “When they try to pull the wool over our eyes, anger is a gift.” Bits of grind pop up, particularly in the blasting sections of “Along For The Ride,” but this is a punk effort, first and foremost.
Those first two are ragers, it’s true, but it’s the final track, the melodic-tinged bashing drive of “Blinded By Power” that leaves the biggest mark. Those closing four minutes sport melodic guitars that complement and balance Deb’s barking sociopolitical anger, giving the band an added element of melody against the harsher tones. “Power” decelerates into a chiming clean-guitar-and-spoken-word breakdown, building back up to a powerful crescendo. Further exploration of this more Fucked Up style of mature hardcore could easily yield great results, especially when they’re contrasted with the harder-edged moments exhibited by the earlier tracks.
All in, Cop Problem is a solid start for a young band – this four-piece punk outfit has added enough personality into the well-trod ground of hardcore to keep things interesting. The EP brings nine minutes of quality hardcore and hints at further good things to come. Hardcore enthusiasts: here’s one to keep an ear on.
