Slap of Reality, Goodbye, Me (Rabbit Rabbit Records/Press, 2026)

By SoDak

I get excited whenever an older band releases a new record that includes the best music they have ever made. This is the case with Slap of Reality, a punk rock band from Florida that formed in 1987. The last few months, I regularly spin their full-length Goodbye, Me, as it brings me much joy, listening to their finely crafted melodic songs, which are reminiscent of bands such as Samiam. The record sounds great, crisp and clean. Every instrument is clear in the mix. The bass and drums serve as a solid anchor. The guitars sound big and have a nice drive to them. The songs are filled with emotional hooks, whereby the vocals and guitars hit the heart. 

I first saw Slap of Reality when they played in Rapid City, South Dakota, at Roman’s Ron De Vu, with Nuisance, Schlong, and Skin Shed, in July 1991. At that time, I had their first two seven inches, Stuck Inside (Vinyl Communications, 1989) and Time Alone (Pazzafist Records, 1990), which were raw recordings of good hardcore songs. The first seven-inch record mixes very fast songs, such as “Stuck Inside,” with mid-paced tunes filled with melodic choruses, such as “Remembrance.” The guitar parts are catchy. There are great moments where the bass is more prominent. The vocals are loaded with reverb. I love the breakdown moments where everything gets a little funky such as on “Thought We Were Friends.” I was eager to hear the songs on these records played live. The show in 1991 was phenomenal. Every traveling band was excellent, playing music from their records as well as new songs. We sang along to all the songs we knew. Given the July heat, the dancing during the show, and the sweat from the crowd, the walls of the venue were covered in moisture. Slap of Reality nailed every song with an energetic performance. They returned the next year for another stellar show. In the 1990s, they released a couple full-length records and a few seven-inch records, which are all solid releases. 

The real treat is that they continued to write songs and perform, culminating in recording Goodbye, Me, which was originally supposed to be released in either 2019 or 2020, but the label that was going to put out the record folded. A few years later, Slap of Reality made the songs available on Bandcamp to share with friends and fans. Fortunately, Rabbit Rabbit Records/Press worked with Slap of Reality to give this record a proper release in 2026. (To pick up a copy go to: https://rabbitrabbitrecordspress.bigcartel.com/.)

Goodbye, Me is a great fucking record. All the songs are catchy and make me sing along. Frank Lacatena’s voice is deeper and filled with more emotional capacity. His excellent singing conveys the tenderness and vulnerability of the lyrics with greater depth. The opening two tracks, “We Said” and “Never Far,” rock. They create an immediate connection. On “We Said,” Frank sings “And we said it meant so much/And we did so little now/And we see it’s over anyway.” On “Never Far,” which has a very strong and awesome Samiam vibe, he sings several times: “I don’t want to be without you now/When I come down.” If I saw this song performed live, I know that I would be jumping up and down, singing along, with tears streaming down my face. I love when a punk rock song moves me in this specific way.

Joe Kiser and David Peralta’s guitars sound extraordinary, whether the guitars are locked in and layered together or when they are adding distinct and interesting textures within songs. The guitars create a drive, while adding a punch here and there. Throughout the whole record, they add to the impassioned feelings. On “A Part Of,” with the alternating fast and slow sections of song, the guitars mix with Frank’s words, “And I don’t want to be a part of/Your club that loves to hate on all I love.” Throughout the record, I really like the sequencing of songs. Following “A Part Of” is a slow song, “Days Are Long,” which creates a nice dynamic, especially with weight and tension of the lines “Days are long now/Years are short.” Then, Slap of Realty kicks it up again, with the start of “Gaslight.” Gregg Moore, on bass, and Rob Sexton, on drums, sound great on every track, establishing a solid foundation for the songs. I love how the bass is a little more forward during the slower moments in songs, and when just the drums and guitar are kicking off a song such as “Gaslight.” The distinct drum parts also intensify the empathic resonance of the music.

In many ways, Goodbye, Me is a perfect record for me. While my musical tastes are all over the map, I love melodic punk bands that rock while carrying an emotional weightiness that is expressed through the music and lyrics. I need music like this, as it helps make sense of daily struggles. Goodbye, Me embodies all of this. On “Cover It Up,” Frank sings, “Can we find another way/To make it through another day.” This is one of the songs I needed after an exhausting day, confronting too many disappointments. As I mentioned, the sequencing on the record is wonderful. The chorus in the following song, “94,” states “And I forgot/To tell you I’m there/And I forgot/To tell you I care.” The song is filled with love, a desire to connect with those who have been lost. In many ways, this song has become only more important considering that Rob Sexton, the drummer, unexpectedly died this summer. The song closes with the words, “You are never gone/You’ll live forever on and on in this song.” This song, this record, this music is further affirmation for how much we need to hold our loved ones close and to maintain our communities to support each other.