Token Entry - 'The Re-Issues'

One of several unsung heroes of the NYC hardcore scene of the ’80s, Token Entry will hopefully get some its due thanks to the I Scream-issued The Re-Issues, a compilation of the group’s final two albums, Jaybird and Weight of the World. Consisting of 22 songs equaling about 55 minutes, The Re-Issues is an enthralling listen from start to finish. If nothing else, it’s great to hear the music that influenced your favorite musicians. After reading the album’s liner notes, with anecdotes provided by Civ of Gorilla Biscuits, Ray Cappo of Youth of Today, Toby Morse of H2O, and Bryan “Papillion” Kienlen of The Bouncing Souls (all important punk/hardcore bands in their own right), it’s obvious that Token Entry has had a more profound influence on hardcore than the average Silverstein fan might deduce.

The first half of this retrospective is Jaybird, a badass hardcore record. While Gorilla Biscuit’s “New Direction” may have surprised first-time listeners with its triumphant horn intro, Token Entry goes for the ridiculous with a twinkling of film score synth for Jaybird opener “The Fire.” But then the band kicks in. Bridging Minor Threat and early Bouncing Souls, “The Fire” is a damn fine old school hardcore song. Blistering and powerful, it sets the pace for what’s to come for the rest of Jaybird. From “Windows” to “Pink Things,” Token Entry lives up to the accolades its fans have heaped on by pummeling the fuck out of listeners’ eardrums with harsh skate-punk anthems (in a totally cool way. Honest). The drums are fierce; the guitars are so rapid fire that they have mere seconds to squeal out anything resembling a solo before soaring back into beautiful beatdown chug-itude.

There’s really only one minor complaint to be had on this first half of The Re-Issues. Like most ’80s hardcore records, Jaybird's lack of variety may cause listeners to zone out after a while. Nonetheless, Jaybird stands up as a staple of hardcore, regardless of scene or era. Closing track “BTBW,” a cover of “Born to Be Wild,” breaks out of the mold a bit with it’s sublimely weird acoustic intro, which is followed by more rocking.

“Sublimely weird” could almost describe Token Entry’s third and final album, Weight of the World, which makes up the second half of The Re-Issues. Almost. Branching out from traditional hardcore in favor of the funk rock of Faith No More and ’80s/early ’90s-era Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weight of the World gets points for experimenting while still leaving some skate-punk layers buried in the mix. But while the album isn’t as lyrically handicapped as the average Anthony Kiedis tune and the musicianship is more diversified and intricate, it’s still a ho-hum release. Weight of the World may be only two years younger than Jaybird, but it sounds far more dated. Hearing frontman Timmy Chunks rap-rock his way through songs like “Don’t Want to Go Back” is just too jarring. Weight of the World is good for a few listens, but it only has value because it was made by Token Entry. Jaybird, however, has value because it’s a great record.