The Expendables have proven anything but in their nearly 25-year career since starting out as a spirited party band in high school covering surf-rock nuggets such as Dick Dale’s “Miserloo” and “Wipe Out” for birthdays and family gatherings. A quarter-century later, elementary school buddies Raul Bianchi, Adam Peterson and Geoff Weers, along with bassist Ryan DeMars, who joined in 2000, have forged a unique original sound born in the laid-back beach life of their Santa Cruz, CA. hometown.

The Expendables’ infectious hybrid of ska, surf-rock, punk, reggae and metal can be heard in their latest streaming track, “Surfman Cometh,” a spaghetti-western meets “Pipeline” twang that could easily form the soundtrack to the latest Quentin Tarantino film. The song is the first release from the group’s new and improved Band Room, their longtime rehearsal space in a 1,100 square foot warehouse and former wine cellar on Coral Street, where Adam Patterson took charge of the mix to great effect.

Passafire’s single, Keepin’ On, serves as a mission statement for the veteran rock-reggae outfit as they continue to forge ahead through their second decade of reimagining the boundaries of the current rock-reggae landscape.

Unflinchingly optimistic, Keepin’ On shows off what Passafire does best: expertly blending the macro/political and the micro/personal. The rock-steady anthem weaves together Passafire’s take on global warming, economic uncertainty, and technology’s threat to personal privacy with the band’s dedication to survival, intent on thriving by any means necessary.

Passafire’s name is a take-off on The Wailers’ classic Catch a Fire album and the band’s hypervigilance towards honoring the culture without appropriating it combined with their unwavering dedication to the expansion of their skills as musicians, producers and songwriters, has led the band to create a sound that stands out from their peers.

DJ Mackle