Only in Amerika


Only in Amerika is the fourth studio album by American punk rock band Hed PE. Released on Koch Records on October 19, 2004, it is the band's first release on an independent label and the first album featuring guitarist Jaxon Benge and ex-Otep drummer Mark "Moke" Bistany. It peaked at #20 on the Top Independent Albums chart and at #186 on the Billboard 200.

Music

The music of Only in Amerika incorporates elements of hip-hop, hardcore punk and heavy metal. Johnny Loftus wrote that Only in Amerika is a "thrash-hop spew takes cues from Anthrax, Korn, Dirty South, pre-acting career Ice-T, and the uncompromising Psychopathic Records collective."

Lyrical themes

later revealed that the brash, offensive lyrical content was an intentional backlash against the more commercial and radio friendly sound of Blackout, the band's previous album, which Gomes said was the product of Jive Records trying to shape the band into a mainstream act and shift its sound away from its punk rock roots.
According to Gomes, "With Only in Amerika, I was trying to push buttons and provoke people. I was exercising my right to freedom of speech".
Gomes expresses nationalistic themes in the song "War", and elsewhere on the album, calling for retaliation against Al Qaeda for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Reception

In his review of the album, Johnny Loftus wrote that " wants to be a confrontational megaphone in the ear of conservatives, but Jahred's torrential rhetoric is too messy and blatantly offensive to incite anything but superficial anger, and the music -- though occasionally explosive -- takes a backseat to the ranting."

Track listing

Personnel

; Planet Earth
;Production