POP MUSIC REVIEW : Sea Hags Test Waters of Punk, Rock

Like the mermaid on the cover of their debut album, the Sea Hags are a mixed species--some punk-rock thrust, some metal chugging and a good deal of heavy riffing inspired by ‘70s hard rock.

What was missing was a siren’s call of melody that might have lent dimension to the young San Francisco band’s forcefully played but mostly forgettable show Tuesday at Goodies in Fullerton.

While snarling vocals, slashing, broad guitar chords and throbbing bass lines certainly are ingredients of exciting hard rock, they make for a bland recipe if forced to stand alone for an entire show. The Sea Hags generated some interesting moments when those elements were applied with peak intensity. But for the most part, the quartet failed to channel its basic power in worthwhile directions.

In the high point of the show, “Back to the Grind,” the band laid out stiff sheets of sound while frontman Ron Yocom snarled with extra conviction and let the music fling his lanky body into some nice, leg-kicking dance steps a la Keith Richards. But the song came early in the set, and it promised more than the Sea Hags delivered.