“X” by Go Time!

Rock music has been declared dead so many times that at this point, it might as well be a ghost haunting the charts. But if you listen closely, beneath the layers of auto-tune, trap beats, and algorithm-friendly pop hooks, you’ll find that rock is still breathing—it’s just not where you left it. Go Time!, a staple of Chicago’s underground rock scene, isn’t interested in chasing trends or resurrecting old sounds for nostalgia’s sake. With X, their tenth studio album, the band doubles down on what they do best: no-nonsense, high-energy rock with sharp songwriting and a raw, unfiltered edge.

For over a decade, Go Time! has been delivering albums at a pace that puts most modern rock acts to shame. Frontman Scott Niekelski (vocals, guitar, keyboards) is the creative nucleus of the band, not just writing and singing but also engineering and mixing every release. Alongside him, Steve Grzenia (drums, backing vocals), Paul Schmidt (guitar, backing vocals), and Mark Marketti (bass) create a sound that feels simultaneously classic and fresh. Their music has always been a melting pot of influences—garage rock, power pop, punk, and a bit of prog-like ambition—but X feels like a culmination of everything they’ve built up to this point.

From the opening track, “Cost Time Commitment,” Go Time! makes it clear that they’re not coasting. The song bursts out of the gate with a driving rhythm section and tightly wound guitar work, channeling the nervous energy of bands like The Clash and early Elvis Costello. The production is refreshingly stripped-down, with no over-polished, radio-friendly gloss in sight. Instead, there’s an urgency to the sound—like a band playing live, feeding off each other’s energy rather than a producer’s vision of what rock should sound like in 2025.

That authenticity carries through the album, even when Go Time! throws in unexpected twists. “What I Needed” begins as a mid-tempo rock tune before introducing a kazoo of all things—a choice that could feel gimmicky but instead adds a playful contrast to the song’s steady groove. Meanwhile, “Turning Tides” is a lean, two-minute adrenaline rush that wastes no time getting to the point. Unlike many modern rock albums that bloat their songs with unnecessary layers, Xthrives on efficiency.

But Go Time! isn’t just about punchy rockers. Songs like “Complicated Truth” and “Damaged Goods” dig into more introspective territory, with Niekelski’s lyrics reflecting on life’s complications and personal struggles. It’s here that the band’s history adds weight to the music. During the making of X, members battled serious health issues—neuropathy, a brain bleed, torn back muscles—not to mention personal losses. Rather than wallowing in despair, the album channels those hardships into music that feels defiant rather than defeated.

That’s the secret to X—it never sounds tired, even when it touches on exhaustion. While much of modern rock is obsessed with recapturing past glories, Go Time! understands that rock’s real power lies in persistence. There’s something thrilling about hearing a band ten albums deep still playing with this much fire. Unlike many legacy acts who settle into a safe, nostalgic groove, Go Time! refuses to be predictable. Even when they lean into familiar territory, like on “Say Hello – Say Goodbye,” they do so with a conviction that makes it feel vital rather than recycled.

Of course, X isn’t for everyone. Fans of hyper-produced, algorithm-approved rock might find its rawness jarring. But for those who still believe in the power of guitars that sound like guitars, drums that sound like they’re played by a human, and songs that actually feel alive, X is a breath of fresh air. It’s proof that rock doesn’t need to be on the Billboard charts to be thriving—it just needs bands like Go Time! to keep pushing forward.

Michael Rand