HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild – CKY
If you’re in your early- to mid-thirties, there’s a high chance that you knew the music of CKY long before you knew that you knew it was them. Because for years, their songs were popping up in the likes of Jackass and the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, both of which consequently swept the globe and became behemoths of media franchises. Amidst the wave of skate punk, post-grunge and stoner rock that continued to circumnavigate the planet, it was CKY who seemed to rise most prominently of all from the slew of faceless, nameless anthems that propped up videos of debauchery and bailed combos.
As it turns out, founding members Deron Miller, Chad I. Ginsburg and Jess Margera were smart and calculating in keeping their fingers on the pulse of popular culture, and they rode the wave they found themselves on to spectacular highs. In the wake of the success of Jackass and Bam Margera‘s earlier series of home-produced videos (also under the name CKY), the band signed to The Island Def Jam Music Group, who at the time were responsible for the likes of SUM 41 and NINE INCH NAILS. When Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild was released, not only were they able to stake claim to their name once and for all and firmly put themselves on the map, they were able to book supporting slots for tours with bona fide legends such as GUNS N’ ROSES and METALLICA.
The main reason for this is because Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild was – and remains to this day – a spectacular exercise in melding genres in order to stand above their closest contemporaries. Solitary single Flesh Into Gear in particular showcased a band that spotted a gap in the market that would cater as much to the skaters and angsty teens as it would to lifelong metalheads, people looking to rage at a party, and those who wanted to just kick back with friends. This is an album that caters to so many subsets of the metal demographic and still avoids resorting to cloying, pandering clichés.
Coming at a time when screamo emo was stealing the crown from a waning nu-metal scene, CKY opted instead for fuzzed out earworm riffs in combination with rich melodies. Taking as much from 70s doom metal as it did from turn-of-the-millennium pop punk and adding dashes of 90s grunge and even 80s sci-fi with its Moogs and bleeping electronics, this was a cluster bomb of influence. But the results speak for themselves on tracks such as Escape From Hellview, Plastic Plan and Frenetic Amnesic. Masterfully juggling these infectious and irresistible groove-laden guitar hooks with a soaring vocal delivery that feels accomplished, but never showy. At the time, they’d perfectly encapsulated the zeitgeist of the audience they’d cultivated and the kids discovering them from these bizarre TV shows and addictive video games while remaining open and inviting to rockers and metalheads everywhere.
Fast forward to today and CKY‘s genre-blending ways means that Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild has aged remarkably well. It ultimately feels timeless as opposed to a relic of the past; a forward-looking and contemplative collection of anthems that possess bite, and harness energy in a way that has been often copied, but rarely matched. Even CKY themselves haven’t quite managed to capture lightning twice. There have been three more attempts in the 20 years since – 2005’s An Answer Can Be Found; 2009’s Carver City; and 2017’s The Phoenix. Sure there have been highlights sprinkled throughout their catalogue, but CKY hasn’t given us another closing psuedo-ballad quite like Close Yet Far; there’s not been the same unhinged ferocity of Sporadic Movement; and there certainly hasn’t been the same euphoric singalongs of Attached At The Hip.
Ultimately, Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild is likely to hold a special place in the heart of many alternative Millennials – whether they realise it or not. It’s hard to name another band or album that can be tied to so many stories of discovery and friendship – whether it’s to something as superficial and innocuous as gaming or partying, or a love of doing stupid shit with your friends because that’s what Chris Pontius is doing on TV every week. This is not the best album we will feature on Heavy Music History, but you can bet your ass it’ll rank high on the fond memories chart.
Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild was originally released on September 24 2002 via Island Records.
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