Songwriting Is a Too-Thin Veil for ‘Kaos’ Within

Yes, there are a few tasty dips into punk-flavored rockabilly here, as well as some spirited surf-guitar licks. But overall, Los Infernos can’t rise above its songwriting woes on this debut album.

Sonically, the hard-charging Riverside quintet grooves with an aggressive edge. Guitars rattle and shake; the anguished vocals of Derek Coon cry out, and a sturdy backbeat brings rhythm to the gritty, roadhouse rock.

Yet despite the passionate delivery, Los Infernos locks into a monotonous tempo and has precious little to say beneath the fast-paced, noisy assault.

“Planet Kaos” orbits around thematic terrain similar to that traveled both by Social Distortion and the now-defunct Cadillac Tramps, two local and influential roots-tinged rockers. At their best, Social D. and the Tramps have offered compelling tales of heartbreak, disappointment and, perhaps most important, a resiliency of human spirit.

Not so here. The songwriting, with one exception, is paper-thin and predictable. Love-struck underdogs trying to overcome hard times are in abundance, as such titles as “Hard Life,” “Evil” and “Lost and Confused” suggest. None of them, however, shed much light on their characters’ hopes, anxieties or fears.

Los Infernos bottoms out with “Hessian,” a mean-spirited diatribe of expletive-filled rants that shows little imagination.

The crisp ensemble work is appealing at times. Drummer Armando Soto’s light touch, Dan Manuel’s pulsating bass lines and Matt Beld’s solid guitar soloing drive home the title track, a playful, all-instrumental surf-punk number. And the guest vocal harmonies of Steve Soto, Vince Brown, along with Steve Jacobs and Josh Agle, formerly of the Swamp Zombies, add richness to a fine cover of the Animals’ “Crying.”

The exception cited above? It’s the rockabilly rave-up “Daddy-O,” a catchy and thought-provoking gem about how a seemingly cool “daddy” winds up sad and lonely thanks to his insensitivity and egocentric ways. It’s just too bad this diamond is surrounded by so much coal.

(Available from Dr. Dream Records, 817 W. Collins Ave., Orange, CA 92867. [714] 997-0275.)

* Los Infernos, the Dragons, Sacred Hearts and Spitfires perform tonight at Linda’s Doll Hut, 107 S. Adams St., Anaheim. 9 p.m. $6. (714) 533-1286.