Album Rec: Lot Lizards - The Horrors of Adulting
- funhousedungeon
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
Lot Lizards
The Horrors of Adulting
Having been a long time fan (and friend) of Pinellas County Florida punk rock heroes, Lot Lizards, I couldn’t have been more stoked when Jon Barnes, guitarist and vocal monster at the head of this trio, sent me the finished mixes for their new album.
I don’t think it was titled at the time. Didn’t need to be. I was hooked from the first riff.
Along with Barnes as front man and resident axe slinger, the rhythm section is made up of Alex Trellu on bass and backups with Mikey Henk on drums. The Horrors of Adulting is the first full length outing for the Lot Lizards and it absolutely delivers. As a follow up to their first three EPs: a self-titled debut, Try to Accept That You are Losing It, and Doomsday Kegger, Horrors manages to improve on some old favorites and absolutely knock it out of the park with some new tunes.
The album was recorded at Underground Sound Studios in Tampa by Bob Noxious (Pig Pen, The Vindicators) and mixed by Scott Wolff (Caught Fire). It’s a damn fine addition to the Lot Lizards discography and a hell of a debut full length for Punkerton Records.
I think what strikes me as so cool about this album is how cohesive the themes are seemingly without trying. Instrumentally, this is about as quintessential of a Lot Lizards album as you could hope. Trellu’s bass is restless and provides an insane amount of melody throughout. Henk’s drumming is rock solid as always, giving the tracks a perfect amount of thunderous emphasis. Barnes' guitar licks are catchy little earworms (see Needles, Good Intentions and Down on Uppers), but it’s the lyricism that keeps me around for supper.
The songs are equal parts witty and poignant. It’s a perfect mixture for my preferred flavor of punk rock. It’s honest without being cold, poetic at times without being pretentious, and most of all it’s relatable in a way a lot of punk rock albums struggle to be.
The opening song, Surprise Party, sternly questions a good friend’s downward spiral. Who in adulthood hasn’t been in this situation? Yet somehow, you can see how the conversation with this idiot friend is coming from a place of compassionate concern, not judgement. Sort of a deep song when you consider it contains the lines “not cool to pee in things that don’t belong to you.”
That kind of sentiment keeps the party afloat with Good Intentions, a generational statement of a song that speaks to me personally (and probably will many others). The guitar lick in this one is fun, but the bass and drum bit that barrels in near the end to kick off the bridge is one of my favorite parts of the album.
The Horrors of Adulting consists of six unreleased tunes and re-recorded versions of four songs that made up the Lot Lizards self titled debut EP. I won’t go into the previously recorded tunes too much, but suffice it to say, the captured performances and Wolff’s mixes really elevate these versions of the tracks. After you get used to hearing songs you love for a few years, it’s typically hard to adopt a new version of a song. But the re-recorded versions of Great Escapes, Exploding Heart Syndrome, Spectrum and Convenience Tour are an improvement all the way around and an absolute blast in the context of this album.
Broken Parts, the fourth track on the album, is another new song in the Lot Lizards’ catalog. It’s a more somber tone, but with a sweet, heavy circle-pit riff stirring the cauldron. The chorus is a bit poppier which makes a nice dynamic before switching back to the opening riff. We also get a tasty little breakdown in this one. Killer song.
The following track Down on Uppers brings that skate punk vibe for which the Lot Lizards are renowned. You can see the influence of bands like Face to Face, No Use for a Name or Good Riddance all over this album, especially with the new tracks. Henk’s drumming may be my favorite on this particular one, and the second verse with the solo bass guitar under Barnes’ vocals is pitch perfect Lot Lizards punk rock.
Cash on Fire deviates just a tad from the poppier side of the skate punk formula that the Lizard boys excel with, but manages to feel like a marriage of Bad Religion and Strung Out– heavier than you might expect, but turning on a dime to a cheerful, singable melody.
Track number nine, Needles, has some of my favorite riffing on the album, and is one of my favorites to see these guys play live. This song sounds like it wants to run away from home and join Warped Tour circa 1999.
So yes, while the horrors do persist, this album can help you deal with them. The Horrors of Adulting is grade-A skate punk with a heart.
The Horrors of Adulting is out July 25 on vinyl, CD and streaming services everywhere.
@lotlizardsfl on Instagram
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