Originally published in ‘zine issue #22, 1999
pg.99 is a … well, I guess they’re a punk band with emo overtones from Northern Virginia. There are several things which make them unique, not the least of which is that there’s seven guys in the band (three guitarists, two singers, bass and drums), and they use all seven to full effect.
The band almost always writes with atypical song arrangements. Say a typical band in a standard rock format writes a song that goes A – B – A – B – C – A – B – C. pg.99 instead writes songs that go A – B – C – D – E – F and so on. The great thing about them is that the songs don’t meander at all and often build up and then explode. This is one of the tools the band uses to create a dark mood with their songs, which they’re very good at. The one complaint I have is that they don’t lay out their record sleeves in a way that’s conducive to being able to read them.
As far as releases are concerned, they have a 1998 demo, two split 7″es, one with Reactor No.7 and one with Enemy Soil, and a 6″ EP, some of which is still available, and they’re working on an LP and another split 7″.
pg.99 deserves your support. I can’t say enough good things about them. ■
Photo: pg.99 performing somewhere in the 1990s, taken from the internet somewhere
