Red Tape.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA-BASED PUNK QUARTET Red Tape thrives on dichotomies. The ferocious foursome cranks its guitars full roar, yet manages to squeeze out some melody and shout-along choruses from the raucous mix. Their Radioactivist bristles with underground intensity, yet was produced by Orgy's slick synth-guitarist Amir Derakh, who is actually well versed in old school punk rock. The group flirts with overt political imagery in their album art--not to mention song titles like "Stalingrad" and "High Revoltage"--yet seeks to personalize issues rather than preach about them. The title Radioactivist, which combines the words "radioactive" and "activist," even expresses a dark duality.

"Basically the 'radioactive part' is (about how) we don't live in perfect times," explains frontman and guitarist Jeff Jaworski. "There is a lot of toxicity out there--poison in our food and in our minds and in our lifestyles. You almost have to just embrace it. We go out and get smashed, and it's not good for you, but it's how you deal with life. The 'activist' is the energy involved with the band. We have this real get-off-your-ass vibe; although, it's more James Brown than it is Tony Robbins."

Inspired by the ideals of '80s punk rockers, Red Tape certainly stands out amidst Roadrunner Records' metal minions. "We're pretty much here to put the nail in the nu-metal coffin," quips Jaworski. "In a way, nu-metal will always have a place in the world, but I think they've got to expand their horizons."

Red Tape assaults one's senses with a melodic punk sound that is raw and aggressive yet tuneful, nodding to influences such as Day Nasty, Black Flag, and Minor Threat. The gritty bass intro to "Golden" even recalls vintage Motorhead. But Jaworski does not think he's part of an angry young band. "A lot of it is not necessarily anger," he remarks. "It's more like hyped-up energy."

Radioactivist tackles a variety of topics. "Golden" explores personal triumphs, reaching your goals, and being passionate about something. "El Salvador," which translates to mean the savior, espouses the concept of self-salvation and keeping one's life in control, while "Damage Control" lashes out at repressive authority figures. And "Droppin' Bombs On Your Morn" takes a cynical swipe at the manufactured pop star obsession sweeping the nation. "It's kind of like Taxi Driver," says Jaworski. "I wish the rain would come and wash the scum off the streets."

The Red Tape frontman says he personalizes political themes by internalizing certain topics, then expressing them in ways that relate to his own feelings. "There are always two sides to every issue," he says. "It's real easy to just say 'luck the police,' but I try to be more specific as to why I'm saying that. For instance, in 'Damage Control,' I'm actually not literally talking about the police running me down. I'm using that term about someone who is trying to be an authority figure on me in just a real shitty way and leading me nowhere. I'm rejecting that."

Jaworski understands authority figures, having been in the Army to pay for his education, so he empathizes with the reservists who unexpectedly went off to war in Iraq. Then there are the troubles in his home city: "It's like a police state," he declares of Sacramento. "It's the state capital here, and seriously, cops are rolling by on every street at any given moment, and they don't have much tolerance for weirdness. They will stop you for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Any kind or loud noise or disturbance, any kind of punk rock gathering, they're going to shut it down. We've had a real hard time keeping venues here for bands to play shows and it's a bummer. In that sense, I do always want to keep the luck authority attitude. Someone's got to keep them in line. They didn't want us to have a skatepark here. It's not helping anyone by denying their right to enjoy themselves."

Naturally there is a big irony in having The Terminator as governor of California. After all, the original character was a fascist killing machine.

"There's a side of me that is a concerned citizen, but there is also a side of me that just wants to see fucking chaos," admits Jaworski. "When that whole thing went down with the governor getting recalled, and Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming the next governor, I was like, 'Go for it.' I just want to see that. I want to embrace the horror of it all and tell my grandkids about it someday. As it turns out, it's not that fantastic. Nothing crazy has happened yet. We're still waiting for him to roll out of the capital with a Gatlin gun and start taking everyone out."