August 1^st, 2016, is a date etched in the minds of myself and others. On that day we witnessed one the best shows in the history of The Pizza Dungeon (Donato’s Basement). The line-up was locals Sleep Jacket and Heroes Like Villains, and the touring bands were Southpaw, Action/Adventure, and Knockout Kid. Like many I went for locals and Knockout Kid. That night a lot of us left as fans of Action/Adventure. I formed a friendship with them and even did a weekend run with them a year later. In the time since, they have signed to Pure Noise Records and toured with bands such as Hawthorne Heights, Armor for Sleep, New Found Glory, Four Year Strong, Like Pacific, and more.

I had the pleasure to chat with guitarist/vocalist Brompton Jackson about five albums. Without further ado, I present Five Albums with Cobra: Brompton Jackson, five albums I would listen to at the end of the world.

Life is often wild and seemingly random. Right now, we’re living in trying times and these are albums that I’ve always been able to fall back on to keep me going. In no particular order, these are five albums I’d listen to at the end of the world. -Brompton Jackson

Lost In the Sound of Separation – Underoath

Heavy hitting and a true aural assault front from start to finish. This is my favorite Underoath record. Lots of people prefer Define the Great Line but for me, Lost in The Sound of Separation is the peak Underoath. It is Aaron’s drumming that really does it for me. That paired with interesting guitar work makes this record a winner, not to mention the superior production quality for something that came out 15 years ago. Top tier for sure.

Enemy of the World – Four Year Strong

When it comes to heavy pop punk no one does it quite like Four Year Strong. Enemy of the World is a truly special record for me because it took everything I loved about Rise or Die Trying and just ramped it up. Everything is dialed in perfectly and its always impressive how Dan and Alan can sing the melodies they’re singing while playing the riffs they’re playing. The technical prowess is untouchable in this genre and it’s just goat’d.

This Is How the Wind Shifts: Addendum – Silverstein

A deluxe edition of the regular record, This Is How the Wind Shifts, this version is chock-full bangers cover-to-cover. This Is How the Wind Shifts seemingly breathed new life into the project and with the introduction of guitarist Paul Marc Rousseau, marked a distinct style change for the band. The guitar work and the catchy vocal melodies are infectious and are a go-to of mine when I’m seeking anything from inspiration for my own music or escape from the monotony of daily life. One standout on this record is a track that’s not on the standard edition. On the standard edition tracks four and eleven are titled “This Is How” and “The Wind Shifts” respectively. Both coming in at around 1:20 they serve as short interludes between the different acts of the record. The coolest part about these tracks is that they actually two halves of a whole and you can only hear the complete song on Addendum.

The Greatest Generation – The Wonder Years

The Greatest Generation is simply perfect. It’s my favorite record by The Wonder Years because it really feels like, and I usually hate this word when describing music but, a more “mature” take on pop-punk without losing the punk aspect of the genre. A lot of times bands tend to lose some of their edge as they continue, and the pop-punk becomes more pop than punk but that’s not what happens on The Greatest Generation. Filled with both fast-paced and slower, almost heavy-feeling tracks, this record really showcases what can be done with the genre when done right. The lyrical content is also a cut above the rest but that’s to be expected from TWY.

Still Searching – Senses Fail

To me Still Searching is another record that is near perfect and full of great tracks from beginning to end. Senses fail is a band that I connected with early in my years of playing guitar. I thought myself a lot about pop punk and emo from learning how to play their songs and a lot of those aspects still show up in the music I write today. This record was one of the first records I had in my first car. It came out when I was 16 years old and honestly, I still listen to it weekly, and it still holds up which is impressive for being 17 years old.

Honorable mentions:

Paper Walls – Yellowcard

Chocolate Starfish and The Hotdog Flavored Water – Limp Bizkit

With Roots Above and Branches Below – The Devil Wears Prada