Album Review from Take 92

800 Octane is retarded. At least, that’s the way you feel about them by the end of the record. They get you all sentimental and sad when you hear “Gather and bow your heads / Say a prayer for the dead,” but you’re laughing at them 30 seconds later. Come to think of it, it’s almost more like a rape. I mean how can this band that I know sound so convincing after all these years? It can’t be some fancy production because you’re not reading my name in the linear notes! It’s the same team that brought you “The Return” and “Rise Again.” Come to think of it, what’s with all the alliteration? Was this planned? Back to the point: For those that don’t know any better, 800 Octane sounds like a well-oiled machine. This is not to say that they aren’t at the top of their game. I mean, the band has never sounded so raw and full of energy in the seven years that I’ve known them. But they actually convince you that there was some preparation involved. This record feels like a live band. That’s not easy to do. Though I was disappointed at the loss of a few great melodies (T-Minus, Great Below), there were also some great surprises. For those that don’t know, I recorded a lot of these songs a year or two ago when they were very new. I didn’t expect that so much of that material would resurface here. The “Guttermouth Song” (Dead End Road) was my biggest surprise, follwed by “Foo Fighters,” which became “Requiem.” The boys are determined to give this thing a proper goodbye and I couldn’t have said it better myself. [And for the record, I haven’t heard the word “pants” so many times in a row since “Live Fast, Diarrhea.”]

Requiem is available now!

Today is the day that our 5th album Requiem is officially released. For those who participated in the Interpunk pre-sale we hope you dig the posters and buttons. For those who have not purchased the album here are some ways to get it:

Online – The album is available at a variety of stores including Interpunk, Amazon, iTunes and many more. Do a search and you’ll find about a dozen sources.

Local – If you prefer to shop locally, you can ask your favorite record store to order it. If they can’t get it, tell them it’s available from Nail Distribution.

Direct from Us – If you have a PayPal account you can order the CD directly from us for $10. Just log into PayPal, choose ‘Send Money’ and send it to 800octane@gmail.com. Order it this week and we’ll ship it out the following day.

It’s been a long four and a half years so thanks again for everyone’s support!

Injury update and CD Release show news!

Justin returned from his doctor’s appointment and subsequent MRI on his knee. Turns out there are now two bone chips to be removed and surgery is likely going down in November. Despite him only being partially mobile we’ve still got two shows booked. First is a Halloween show in Seattle which should be pretty crazy. The second show is our CD Release show w/ The Independents at the Ash Street on Nov 7th. It’s a Friday and it should rule the school. Both are 21+ shows. We are hopeful that the intoxication with keep people from noticing Justin’s limited movement. In fact, it may even enhance it. If you’ve been too lazy to pre-order your CD, you can buy them from us at either show. Speaking of pre-order if you order the cd right now (like this week) from Interpunk.com you’ll get a free signed poster and a limited edition button.

Pre-Order Requiem and get free stuff!

Our latest CD is now available for pre-order from Interpunk.com. If you pre-order it you’ll get a signed poster, a cool new button design and more importantly you’ll be one the very first people to get a copy. Only the first 100 orders get the freebies so act now.

Two new songs on MySpace

Two more songs from the album have been posted on MySpace. The first is called ‘Dial Tone’ and has very little to do with phone service. The second is called ‘The Survival Guide’, which offers step by step instructions on how to survive the upcoming zombie holocaust. Album pre-order info coming in the next 2-3 days!

Smash It Up!

We’re on a new compilation CD on Mother Box Records. The disc is pretty great and features 14 bands each doing 2 songs that are loosely based on cars. Do check it out!

That’s how we roll

A new song from the new album has been posted on our Myspace page. It’s called ‘Death Race 2000’ and it’s about the classic movie of the same name, not that new crap one currently in theaters. How can you not enjoy a movie where you score points for running people over?

The new album release date is…

… October 14th!!! Stay tuned for a special MySpace only pre-sale in late September.

Crippled again

I think our legacy towards being the most accident prone band ever is becoming a reality. Justin is currently crutch bound and was informed he is going to have to undergo knee surgery to remove a “foreign object”. He can’t extend or bend his knee which pretty much sucks. Needless to say, no more shows for a bit, including the one with Viva Hate. It’s sort of ironic that the healthiest member of the band is always the one who breaks. Anyway, time to stock up on vitamins and milk before we break anything else.