David Bowie may have originally recorded the song on the verge of the 70's yet it is now 2004 and Please Mr. Gravedigger has become a living, breathing rock n' roll nightmare. Though assuming the name of one of Bowie's earliest efforts, this San Diego six-piece aren't following in his footsteps. Instead they spawn a sound that belongs in smoke-filled bars and neighborhood garages. The collective first made their presence felt on a small note, issuing a warning for greater things to come on a 7" split with Gasoline Please via Phantom Records in '03. But it was not until now that Please Mr. Gravedigger were able to make an impact. "Here's To The Life Of The Party" is a rough-and-tumble debut that revels in all that is independent, thrashing wildly with only the filthiest rock n' roll intentions.

Though half of the group once served as members of rising metalcore ensemble As I Lay Dying, any metallic affinities have been put on the backburner in favor of a combination of saw hardcore/punk and raucous saloon rock that falls somewhere alongside Every Time I Die, Since By Man and The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower. This sextet convey a state of frenzied immediacy throughout the course of their debut, careening haphazardly between impassioned moments of punk rock fury and seconds of abrupt musical chaos. This spastic ether binge of sound leaves the mind reeling and the knees rubbery, yet Please Mr. Gravedigger manage to instill an underlying groove that encourages the listener to get the hell up and move. This danceable element is due in large part to keyboardist Thomas Kosich, as it is his duty to douse these rock n' roll firecrackers with a thin coat of new wave polyurethane. "Last Call" is enhanced by his calliope-esque keystrokes, transforming a fairly standard barroom scorcher into a circus of whiskey-fueled aural debauchery. The group's new wave aesthetic is drawn to the forefront on "27", as the addition of supporting female vocals and retro keyboards brings about a striking similarity to theSTART, albeit grittier and more inspired.

Though they have only been cavorting around the San Diego underground since 2002, "Here's To The Life Of The Party" unveils Please Mr. Gravedigger to be one of most intriguing newcomers to graze the punk rock scene in some time. Presenting a package that simultaneously injects a dirty rock n' roll style into hardcore while penetrating rebellious punk with pulsating new wave dalliances, this sextet should fair exceedingly well in the underground community. Production values are minimal and although the grimy spasms captured here on record are less likely to appeal to the common hardcore music fan; those with a nostalgic fancy and elitists alike could enjoy the band's rock explosion. Raise those glasses high for this toast, as Please Mr. Gravedigger has arrived and they are clearly a party unto themselves.