Upbeat energy fuelled DC style punk rock with a pop edge

Four caucasian men striving to forge something fresh, passionate and positive within a post-punk framework. Dense and infectious songs with hardcore urgency running through its veins.
Darren and Jon have played together since 1997. Made album ‘Big And Clever’ under the name Chomsky. Line-up and name change (don’t ask). A stint at Sawmills Studios, Cornwall in 1999 resulted in the ‘Swing Like Children’ single (never released). A great experience but it left the band feeling removed from their hard-edge ethos. Another line-up and final name change.
Recorded four songs at the local musicians’ co-operative (PMC Studio) in 2002. The resulting ‘Strikes And Gutters’ EP at last started to hint at the band’s live intensity. After glowing accolades while still in demo form, it was officially released through Org Records in January 2003.
The recently-recorded album ‘Special Moments To Detonate Themselves’ was offered to a host of decent, like-minded independent labels and is being very well received on the fringes by the likes of Fracture and Rancid News. [News bulletin!
Playing, and often striking up friendships, all over the place with the likes of Jetplane Landing, this GIRL, Five Knuckle, The Arrivals, Capdown, Orca, Bluetip, NoComply, Southpaw, Samiam, Capitol City Dusters and Fugazi has substantially honed the band’s skills and awareness of what has to be done and how to do it. Everything is in place. Song-writing has become a more shared experience as righteous, primal and spastic jams transform into rough-hewn gems. With a respectful nod to the DC mindset, a wink at second wave LA punk, a leftist slant and a penchant for classic rock’n’roll, The Once Over Twice are ready to share their collected experiences.

Drowned In Sound 5/5
The Once Over Twice. Remember that name. Say it out loud. Meditate on it. The Once Over Twice. Write it on a post-it note and stick it on the fridge, on the bathroom mirror, over the TV. Do it NOW. And don’t stop ‘til I tell you to. Because the next time you find yourself browsing the racks in HMV you will pick this up. You will listen to it every day. You won’t be able to stop yourself, not because I’m subtly hypnotising you with my words – though that would be pretty cool – but because with their debut album they have easily made the most exciting, the most viciously infectious album you'll buy this year. Bar none.
Following on from their ‘Strikes And Gutters’ EP on Org Records last year this is a steaming, hyperactive ball of post-hardcore energy where every instrument is scrambling for your attention, each barbed melody coming at every angle, burrowing under and over each other in a desperate attempt to make itself heard. In fact, as soon as the hollowed, grating guitar scrum welcomes you into their world the album bursts into a feverishly intense mix of furious guitar strummings, itchy rhythms and explosive drumming, vocalist Darren only accentuating this urgency with a style that jostles between the exasperations of David Yow and the reserved ness of latter-day Ian Mackaye. Lyrically he appears to illustrate the futility of everyday existence if motivation and purpose is lost, voicing on ‘Whistlestop On The Permafrost’, “Lose your subtext, lose your motives. So what would you do in my situation? Put it all down to fate and put your feet up? I prefer to take a riddle and decipher on the terms I agree.” Indeed it seems this is a band at odds with societal complacency; a band preferring to affect real change rather than nestling amongst those being ushered through the post-teen turnpike without any real sense of direction. Forget Sunday morning T4; destroy Heat magazine and please, someone send a crippling virus to My Space’s server. Because this is what young people need to hear. Musically TOOT share a common bond with the creative mindset of the modern DC punk scene whilst integrating a frantic, wholly disparate take of their own that is both proficient and accessible, yet pumps with a raw, primal energy that evades the bland and instead makes this such a captivating listen from start to finish. In fact, it’s going to take a heck of a long time before I put this CD back in its case. So, for those at the back, they are The Once Over Twice. And you are going to love them.

Rock Sound August 2004 - 8/10
The first thing to assault you here is the feeling it was recorded after overdosing on passionate energy. It bursts and spits, yet repeatedly restrains itself before spiralling out of control. Not that it would sound bad that way, but you have to admire their self-control! It has elements that bands describing themselves as 'emo' would kill for. But these elements are supercharged with spirit and power and wouldn't sound lost in many hardcore bands either. An impressively intricate weaving of influences, resulting in a guitar-driven exorcism to purge much pent-up frustration, whilst urging you to rock your socks right off. Don't concern yourself with who this sounds like, but rest assured that most of the bands they cite as influential would appreciate this as one fine album. (Paul Raggity)

Big Cheese - 4 out of 5 (July 2004)
Yet another top release on In At The Deep End (They've put out records by Beecher and Send More Paramedics amongst others). The Once Over Twice hail from Plymouth and play the kind of raw, abrasive punk rock that's seen bands like Million Dead win so many plaudits. While tracks like 'Whistlestop On The Permafrost' and 'Don't Go Outside' lean towards angular, staccato riffing, the band are equally impressive when they play more straight-ahead gritty punk rock in the vein of Hot Water Music (such as on 'A Clandestine Quest For the Perfect Action Figures' and 'No Point Of Entry'). Aggressive, complex yet overwhelmingly accessible, there's no reason why 'Special Moments To Detonate Themselves' shouldn't see The Once Over Twice reach a wider audience. (Nick Mann)