Words by: Jack Humphrey

Hailing from South Wales, the excitable rock and roll cover outfit Punk Rock Factory has always been known for their musical prolificacy and their fun loving spirit. With seven years of touring experience together, the mighty foursome has definitely covered a lot of ground on their last three records [pun fully intended, of course]. From nostalgic Disney staples to the most classic hits of the ’80s, Punk Rock Factory has proven in a very short time that they can do it all. On their latest full-length effort Masters of the Uniwurst, the titans of nerd-rock up the ante in a big way, putting their dynamic spin on some of the most memorable kids’ television theme songs around. Spanning two decades of classic tunes, this ragtag quartet of shred-heads have something to unlock everyone’s nostalgic side, along with a fiery shot of punk rock vitality that makes this raucous record a total treat to listen to.

Kicking off the record, we get heart-pounding renditions of two ’80s action-adventure staples iconic opening themes: Thundercats and Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Evoking the frenzied excitement of the series’ most climatical battles, these hard-rocking renditions of some of the most nostalgic favorites the ’80s have to offer see Punk Rock Factory right in their element. These cuts definitely don’t lose any of the nostalgia of the originals, but the powerful drum and guitar work gives them a freshness and novelty that’s sure to have millennials reminiscing on their favorite moments from the shows before catching themselves unironically breaking out their air guitars.

The group throws it back a bit more with a power-chord heavy romp through the iconic Flintstones theme song. Vocalist Peej exhibits some impressive range here as he exclaims Fred Flintstone’s legendary catchphrase before belting out the track in his higher register. Like most of the cuts here, it might clock in at only 90 seconds, but it’s still everything you would hope for or want from a cover of the Flintstones theme. Truthfully, Punk Rock Factory were wise to keep most of these cuts within the runtime of the source material. At the end of the day, it’s a novelty project meant to capture the hearts of those who grew up with the shows. To this point, the band remarked:

“We grew up watching all these shows, so this was a big honor and a huge nostalgia trip for us… We wanted to do them as you remember them. This means we didn’t extend them, or change them, unless it really worked in the song’s favor.”

Every once in a while, the foursome does choose to take liberties with the source material, injecting a bit of extra punk rock attitude into the typically light-hearted demeanor of old school cartoon intro music. On their rendition of the indispensable Animaniacs theme, the group accentuates the gleefully loopy energy of the tune with an original guitar solo. Similarly, they push the tempo of the rockabilly-heavy Saved By the Bell theme music to the max. Unleashing a speed metal-esk fury on the track, the head-spinning cover incorporates a rapid-fire kick drum and a rip-roaring guitar riff, super-charged with maximum distortion.

As the band remarked, this effort isn’t just a cover record; it’s a fusion of two distinctly separate musical worlds. As Punk Rock Factory brings their own fresh style to these ditties so many of us have heard dozens of times before, it’s exciting to hear the novel twists and variations that they pull out of their bag of tricks. As the band remarked earlier, even though these renditions venture far beyond the sound or musical style of the originals, every one of them remains faithful to the fun-loving attitude that the songs and their eponymous shows inspired in their day.

This is a novelty record by nature. It may not have a ton of replay value for many, but if these shows and the songs that soundtracked them have a special place in your heart, Masters of the Uniwurst will likely be a truly delicious nostalgia trip. Punk Rock Factory has found their niche and they more than deliver on the expectations of a concept record like this, combining their zeal for the kind of music they play with popular culture’s ever-prevalent demand for nostalgia. But somehow, knowing that these songs have a special significance for each member of the band from their respective childhoods gives listeners the feeling that these iconic tunes are in good hands, and perhaps there’s no band better to play them the way Punk Rock Factory does.

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