Before Clayton Thomas (lead singer, lead guitarist) started his band, Reverse Pathogen, he found success in the hip hop space. Since last year, he has been following his passion by returning to his rock roots. After releasing their debut album, Attention Is The New Heroine, on September 27th of last year, Reverse Pathogen is already back with their sophomore album, Accidentally Fetishized. Clayton completely self-produced Accidentally Fetishized, and had Josh Freese (Foo Fighters, Devo) return to play the drums on each track. Accidentally Fetishized clocks in at 32 minutes long and consists of 12 songs that push the boundaries of the current punk rock music scene by implementing raw instrumentation that simultaneously feels nostalgic and something brand new.
The album opens up with the single, “Bleed For This,” an emotionally raw anthem that addresses the superficiality of today’s punk rock culture. “Bleed For This” opens with a grungy guitar riff that easily catches any listener’s attention. Clayton utilized this song to really showcase his strong baritone vocals and range, while being lyrically vulnerable about how rock bands are producing and making music within the scene. If the listener digests the lyrics while listening to “Bleed For This,” it is evident to sense the anger that Clayton is conveying throughout the song about the current rock music scene. The two other singles, “How Long Have You Been Like This” and “Guitar Cable Technical” are both composed of a mellower sound and less intense emotion while still feeling like it cohesively fits with the rest of the album.
Aside from the singles, one of the standout songs on Accidentally Fetishized is “Talk With Your Lips.” It opens with a very gritty, yet funky, guitar riff that feels like the punk rock anthem of the summer. The sound feels warm, familiar, yet something completely new all at once. It’s easy to imagine being on the beach and having “Talk With Your Lips” on any rock playlist.
Accidentally Fetishized is a very solid second album for Reverse Pathogen to release, especially considering their debut album, Attention Is The New Heroine, was released only eight months ago. Clayton is breathing a new life into a nostalgic sound that feels entirely new.
Follow Reverse Pathogen on Instagram