Los Pepes vs Dark Thoughts

Los Pepes

Two bands that I've been really digging lately have been London's Los Pepes and Philly's Dark Thoughts. For whatever reason, when I hear one, I am instantly put in the mood for the other and both band's new LP's have been following the other for months now. It's like both bands have such a complimentary (or if it was 2000 I'd use the word "simpatico") sound to one another. Is it the fact that they are both melodic punk bands? Or dare I say "Pop Punk" bands? I would prefer the former over the latter in this case. No disrespect to the proud pop punkers, I mean it. 

Dark Thoughts

To me, when someone says the term "pop punk" an instant image forms in my head of a 16 year old kid with baggy shorts, and a backwards baseball hat singing about the squishy thing they found in their shorts. When I hear the term "melodic punk" I picture bands like Moral Crux or The Hex Dispensers. Is one better than the other? No, not necessarily. Do I sometimes have a hankering for hearing someone singing in a forced nasally voice about that squishy thing that fell out of their shorts? Absolutely! But to me, Dark Thoughts and Los Pepes are melodic punk bands that I have come to love dearly. Both bands released amazing LP's in 2025. Here's a quick look back at both of them and what makes them so special to me. 

Los Pepes - Out Of The Void LP Wanda, Spaghetty Town, Beluga Music, Ghost Highway Recordings

Los Pepes have been dubbed "the loudest power pop band on earth" by a writer far more clever and astute than me. However, I can certainly get behind that statement! On the band's 6th LP, guitars burst out of your speakers like a bucking rodeo bronco right out of the gate! And you better be listening to this record loud or just put it away until you have the room to yourself because quiet is something this band doesn't do! Ben Perrier's vocals are a smooth chaser in contrast to the loud guitars and catchy ass riffs that he and Gui Rujao ram down your ear hole on both sides of this record! With this much weight bearing down on the pleasure centers of your brain, you need a solid rhythm section to tether the tunes down so they don't get too light and airy and that's exactly what you get here with Seisuke Nakagawa's punchy bass work and Kris Hood's solid drumming! Los Pepes are one of the best bands out there, no matter what label you want to slap on them. They serve up melodic rock n roll delivered with punk rock fists to your face. 

Dark Thoughts - Highway To The End LP (2025) Drunken Sailor, Stupid Bag Records 

Dark Thoughts approach to their music definitely comes at us like a rock n roll Ramones bazooka! Oh and you better believe these songs are bubble gum in your hair catchy, and they're being played something close to what I believe to be cheetah speed! This is the band's fourth LP and it only appears that Dark Thought's songs are actually gaining in momentum like a comet's trajectory on a crash course with your very soul! Lead singer and guitarist Jim Shomo pounds one song out after the other in a speed strumming delivery, those guitar stings are most surely bending and straining to maximum test capacity. Meanwhile bass player Amy Opsasnick and drummer Daniel Cox provide a solid wall for these songs to bounce off of and really take flight. Think of the vocals and guitar as the bullet train and the rhythm section as the tunnel and the rails. All units must operate at peak performance for the songs to really blast off and imbed themselves into the slimy folds of your undeserving brain. All 11 songs on this record do that thoroughly and effectively. Your slimy brain is your problem.