The ever-present tug-of-war that is translating record to live show or live show to record is nothing new. For San Diego duo (a trio live thanks to current touring bassist Stephen Rey) of Pat Beers (vocals/guitar) and Lety Beers (drums), having garnered attention internationally for their explosive live sets, capturing even a semblance of that is a tall order.

Releasing their fourth record, first in two years, Hoof It proclaims “to hell” with the line between live shows and records and fuses the two in an insanely addictive eleven songs so tightly packed it would take even the TSA days to lay it out end to end.

Venturing into Hoof It two things are strikingly apparent. First, producer Dean Reis, by some wizardry, captured lightning in a bottle in a way many attempt and few achieve. Secondly, The Schizophonics take one step back to take two massive steps forward.

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, soaking with endorphin-inducing spaced out punk rock solos and eviscerating beats Hoof It is just over thirty minutes of non-stop, no punches pulled rock in absolutely all the best possible ways. Each of the songs range from just over two and a half minutes to four and a half minutes and demonstrate The Schizophonics are doings something we don’t hear…if ever.

To dissect individual songs is like discussing a song at a live show right before they start the next; you’re missing the point, so just shut up and listen. The Schizophonics deliver an adrenalized, power-stroked eleven tracks of high-octane punk that feels like we’re transported to sweaty 80s nights at CBGB, but with an experimentally curious vocalist raised on James Brown and a crate full of Gillan and Blackmore.  Hoof It is richly present yet knows damn well where it came from. Blending the distorted guitar and vocals, riding high on an in-your-face rhythm duality, the explosive live show, so revered worldwide, somehow is captured and conveyed on recording. I haven’t had this much fuzzed out rock fun since the last time I fell into the hole of Deep Purple’s catalog.

Whether through some deal with the devil or some act of superhuman vision The Schizophonics bend rock in a new direction with Hoof It. The lines between live show and record aren’t blurred, they’re obliterated. Check out Hoof It on September 2nd, 2022 via Pig Baby Records.