Punk rock is a genre of music that invites possibility. Proving that musicians did not have to be masters at their instruments to make music, punk gave numerous opportunities for people that wanted to start a band in spite of low technical skills. With its blistering guitars and unrelenting intensity, punk rock makes its audiences feel limitless in their aspirations. The simplicity of punk proved that anything can happen, and that there were zero limits to what music could do. Various punk bands used their talents to extend the boundaries of the genre, and their innovations led to an array of amazing developments. The Wipers were a part of this unique trend in punk, and their 1981 classic 'Youth of America' was a defiance of previous rules in the genre.
The guitar work of 'Youth of America' gave new standards for punk rock. Greg Sage's scalding guitar work moves around like a snake, as it is slithers around the music with angular riffs and jagged frameworks. The guitars are coated with complex tornadoes of dissonance that wash over the album in a perplexing manner, and distortion is used as a vehicle for expressing mysterious auras. 'Youth of America' also crosses over into psychedelic territory, as its disorienting guitars swirl around the listener's mind like a wondrous dream. Greg Sage's atonal guitars are jagged and illusory, and they expanded what the instrument could do in punk.
'Youth of America' also brings progressive elements to punk rock. In addition to featuring long songs with extended intros, the album also has pianos and complex instrumentation that develops organically. Pulsing basslines are combined with steady drums to create a reliable rhythm section, and the album features evocative segments that create impressionistic pictures in the listener's mind. 'Youth of America' is played at a methodical pace as well, and power chords are used to express a desolate atmosphere. 'Youth of America' brings an unforeseen intricacy to punk rock, and it shows how the genre gives way to surprising discoveries.
The Wipers also inject a strong sense of atmosphere into the album, as well. 'Youth of America' is an incredibly disturbing presentation of punk rock, as its mind-altering passages invite feelings of doom and menace. 'Youth of America' has a nightmarish aspect to it, and its eerie noises creates emotions that cannot be explained with words. 'Youth of America' is akin to a bat that screeches at you during the night, as its ghoulish vibe unnerves its audiences wherever they go. 'Youth of America' grips its audiences with dark feelings, and it creates a world that is exciting and dreadful all at once.
'Youth of America' is a fantastic document of what punk rock can do. Its guitars become these wonderfully dissonant forces of nature that wash over the album, alternating between kaleidoscopically angular parts and disturbing slabs of discord. The elaborate portions of the album break down traditions of punk, and they use the conventions of the genre to go into unexpected directions. 'Youth of America' is also an unsettling force of nature, as its dark nature is creates a disconcerting mood for the listener. The Wipers have created a masterpiece with 'Youth of America', and they demonstrate the numerous possibilities of punk.
