Judging by the name of this album (Friends and Nervous Breakdowns) and the record label (Equal Vision) it wouldn't be a stretch to assume Weerd Science as another comer in the Emo race. After giving it a listen, however, this preconception proves to be something of a misconception. In fact it turns out that this record is something more profound and mind bending than your basic emo album. True Friends and Nervous Breakdowns is dark and very strange in an emo kind of way, but fuck that notion - Weerd Science is hardcore rap, so don't be fooled. Still, this will probably be the only rap album most emo kids own. You see this is a side project of Josh Eppard, drummer of neo progmo contemporaries, Coheed and Cambria.

In much the same way that the VooDoo Glow Skulls album Band Geek Mafia proved that nerds are people with feelings too with the ska and shit, Weerd Science is doing the same with rap and shit. True, Friends and Nervous Breakdowns is built around the undeniably emo-like themes of pissed-off rants fueled by fights, breakups, and the overwhelming urge to be accepted. But missing is the sentimentally retarded gayness and in it's place is tight flowing shrink raps of Eppard verbally assault every type of asshole in the book.

When I looked for the list of band members in Weerd Science all it said on the Equal Vision site was "not applicable." But in the liner notes it does mention the following as helpers: Chris Bittner, Kwame, Danny Illchuck, and Michael Birbaum, whoever those dudes are. The first track that really pinched my scrotum and demanded my attention was "Girl, Your Baby's Worm Food" with the line, "The girl could get knocked up from having sex on the Internet." On "Thank God for Pepsi" Eppard fondly recalls his cola drinking gamer days when he was "On the radar, making MC's jealous and green like their name was Ralph Nadar." The track "Fuck You and Your Filthy A&R Dept." turns Eppard into the Caucasian equivalent of Busta Rhymes rapping at mach speed.

This project has been brewing for about ten years now and it is finally here. Friends isn't all that bad for a nerdy white boy with whose insecurities trigger unwholesome and uncontrollable urges. As Eppard said himself, "Weerd Science is all about beats and rhymes." Word.