"Hmmm... This is a bit more polished and accessible than the debut album below. I frequently heard a MILLENCOLIN feel here, mixed with the melodic Punk of FACE TO FACE but also something more strident and powerful a’la SHADES APART. This Atlanta-based five-piece has dropped an album that is confident and, while still laced with some distinct direct-hit anthems, now comes with a noticeable dose of rock - which is most apparent on some of the slower, surging tracks like ‘Cut It Out’ and ‘IV’. Both those tracks emphasize the progression that guitarists Neil McCarty and Nick Pursche have made; it’s clear they’ve worked at arrangements and getting their guitars to work together to form one big, hard-hitting swathe of sound. Other highlights include ‘Rivers Of Asphalt’ and ‘West End’ while the closing TEMPTATIONS cover of ‘I Wish It Would Rain’ shows a vision and energy akin to AVAIL’s burn up of ‘Pink Houses’. Lyrics appear to be on par with [Is Anyone Listening?], but the minimal promo packaging doesn’t allow me to be sure."   -Scanner Zine 07/11

     "Straight outta muthafuckin’ Hotlanta is The Carry-Ons with their brand new rocker, ‘Succession’, and boy let me tell you what: Succession brings it in a whole lot of directions.

     Musically The Carry-Ons are a blend of rock and punk with more emphasis on the punk. The songs are mid to upper mid tempo jobs that all feel pretty solid. The big draw though is the range. In addition to a great level of dynamics in the music, the song styles and vocals range between influences like AFI, Gogol Bordello, Meatloaf, Millencolin and a track that could damn well be a Street Dogs cover. I’d say they got the musical ground pretty well covered.

     The CD offers 12 tracks ranging from around a minute to just over four, ya know, for the ballad lovers out there. The epic track length aside, I’ve been rolling this disc in my car for a while now and the more I listen, the more I like.

     Bottom line is this, branch out from your radio-rock douchbaggery and hit some new tunes with The Carry-Ons new CD Succession. I triple dog dare you."   -Jerry Actually (!upstarter - upstarter.com)

     "When you’re really into a band, embracing change can be challenging, especially when said band has only just started exploring their potential in previous releases.  In the case of Atlanta, Georgia’s The Carry Ons, their first full length, Is Anybody Listening, absolutely blew me away with track after track of sing along anthems.  So when the quintet announced that their sophomore full length, Succession, would include an “all new direction and taste,” my gut churned.

     When the disc finally arrived, my first impression was like that of ordering a new dish from a menu already brimming with personal favourites.  Metaphorically speaking, I met the first bite with instant regret, wishing I had stayed with something more habitual.  But over the course of the meal, my pallet adjusted, and by diner’s end, I was scraping the plate madly for every last morsel.  Less abstractly, the once-gruff ska punk influenced band has shed the jumpy chords of their 2008 effort, and dawned the jaw snapping chords of tough punk rock, thankfully, without sacrificing their knack for track after track of stadium filling anthems.

     After a few listens, Succession quick became a preferred listen, erasing any sense of doubt as to whether the changes would stunt progress.  With embracing more speed and rock leveled riffs, dual vocalists Neil McCarty and Nick Pursche push their melodic strengths as they overlap rhythm with vicious solos as yet another effortless layer to their already firm repertoire.  The lyrically straightforward, musically well-planned “Wake Me Up” serves as a prime example.  Abram Mersaris might repeat the title line convincingly for the final leg of the track, but the accompanying gang vocals, sweeping “woahs,” dark piano keys, and most importantly, revved anticipation built from spiraling guitar solos that flood one’s conscious.  There’s a real chemistry to the group – think the spirit of The Have Nots, but without the Boston underpinnings.

     The Carry Ons also succeed from adding a couple subtle new elements.  The first, a duet between a female vocalist and Mesaris, rears its head in “West End.”  The unaccredited woman takes a nod from smokey but ragged vocalists – like a combination of Biff Naked and former Leftover Crack member “Nico De Gallo.”  The result is a confident but playful tradeoff accented by a big stylized finale.  The piano also serves as a notable new player, sparingly added to tracks in either intros or bridges, as per “Smells Like Greene Spirit.”

     As in past work, Succession continues The Carry Ons trend of pairing well-composed arrangements with intelligent content.  Fueled by rich descriptors and unwavering optimism, many tracks challenge listeners to make tough choices and stay true to themselves.  The vocally swaggered “Cut It Out” challenges listeners to brave self destructive trends and “break the cycle,” with “Smells Like Greene Spirit” encouraging listeners to trust their gut (“we’re at a cross roads without guides or plans”).  “Rivers Of Asphalt” comes across particularly well spoken as Mersaris repeats how he refuses to follow in his parents’ footsteps, firing off questions at point blank of motivation and work ethic (“will you give up everything?  Will you follow your heart?  …can you work this hard?  Will you carry on if it all falls apart?  Stand clear of the cynic and stay clear to your heart – you can’t have glory without sacrifice”).  It might have been three years since their last record, but the quintet remains grounded in their roots.

     There’s no way around it, Succession is a grower for those familiar with The Carry Ons, and an easy choice for newcomers.  Succession’s “new direction” might reorient some key influences, but it certainly doesn’t sacrifice any energy.  The lyrics remain smart, and the songs dynamic.  Succession is a breath of fresh air for free thinkers and a powerful dose of fist pumping anthems for defiant punks.  Well worth looking into."   -Cole Faulkner (ThePunkSite.com)

     "The Carry-Ons are that band I see playing at Warped who cause me to stand and stare at the intensity of their audience because it scares the shit out of me. Their pits are large and will take a pansy like me out. They’re too badass for me, the girl waiting for The All-American Rejects to play next, but luckily there are people out there who will flock towards The Carry-Ons. Grizzly vocals encompassed but punk driven chords with an ode to Nirvana? The Carry-Ons’ Succession is all that and then some. Representing a different part of the Dirty South, these Atlanta bound men offer a Rancid taste that’d make fans of Tim Armstrong smile with lead track, ‘Churchill’s’. From the one side of Punk that’s raw to the catchier side with tunes like ‘Rivers of Asphalt’. And what about that Nirvana thing? ‘Smells Like Greene Spirit’ is a quick tune one will miss if they weren’t paying attention. Not sure how it’s related to Nirvana, maybe just the title... Any who, The Carry-Ons’ Succession is for folks who enjoy spending their time tearing it up to bands like Hot Water Music and The Draft. So if you’re not a pansy like me and this is your cup of tea, please support music and pick up The Carry-Ons’ Succession now, yes, right now."   -Kendra Rae (Golden Mixtape)

     "Atlanta’s The Carry-Ons are good at what they do, plain and simple.  And when it comes to lyric heavy mi-tempo upstroke sporting punk rock, their 2008 full length, Is Anyone Listening?, knows few equals.  To be certain, the quintet isn’t here to reinvent but to reinvigorate.  And to that end the album boasts fourteen tracks of direct hit anthems that should have any listener singing along in no time.

     The Carry-Ons occupy a great place between melody and good old-school punk.  Chalk full of bouncy guitars, woah enhanced choral structures, and the commanding presence of vocalist Abe Mesaris, Is Anybody Listening? charges out of the gate with a fiery vigor matched only by the album’s passionate political allegiances.  “Fuck The Cliché” gets things rolling with plenty of fast moving guitars backing up a clear and outright judgment call to the scene.  Mesaris shouts “I am constantly subjected to the vain and empty/the gangs of fashion queens it’s all about routine/listen to the lyrics the words are cliché, you get a sense of fallacy in every word that they say,” and as those who hear the message will no doubt agree, few others could carry the message more genuinely.

     Compounding on the band’s tongue-in-cheek delivery, the hopeful number “The War Is Over,” follows suit, painting a picture of a world at peace as a tragically unattainable goal still worth fighting for despite the seeming futility.  Another notable track, “Common Cents,” takes a more traditional note, but questions even the motives of those working to subvert capitalist structures, to the point where even a corrupt government riles a chuckle.  Then there’s also a somber sense of survival inherent in the rallying cries of tracks like “I Remember.”  Mesaris reminisces “I remember standing on the corner smoking cigarettes… we didn’t care whether or not we had a dime to our name, but now those things have changed,” making for a passage as much about moving on as it is a warning for those living in the past.

     Furthermore, from start to finish the band flexes some pretty meaty musical muscles.  For starters, the riffs of dual guitarists Neil McCarty and Eliott Virula come across with a commanding combination of amped up distortion and production clarity.  The biggest moments come in those like “Zero In,” boasting both the thickest fuzz, and instances of some of the biggest distortion circa reverberating chords that sound as if ripped straight from the Nekromantix or some other psychobilly group.  But like any good gutsy group, The Carry-Ons know when to back off.  To that end they’ve reduced the tempo of the rock n’ roll lament “Apocalypse Song;” a tale about life in an underground bomb shelter.  It goes without saying, every song embodies more than enough uniqueness to keep them standing strong and cemented in memory as accessible sing alongs worthy of consecutive listens.

     For such an accessible group I find myself at a loss when thinking of concrete comparisons.  Mesaris is abrasive, but not really what you’d call gruff, so that rules out a whole slew of No Idea Records equivalents, and then there’s a ton of outright pep, which makes for an easy pop-punk copout, but feels far too raw for anything on that spectrum.  The best I can offer is bring up a loose Cobra Skulls reference with a bit of a disclaimer.  But whatever the case, The Carry Ons really hit the spot, and deliver fourteen tracks boasting everything I look for in well balanced punk rock that isn’t afraid to keep things raw yet refined.  Definitely a standout for the archives."   -Cole Faulkner (ThePunkSite.com)

     "Remember that rare beast - The Punk Rock album? Y’know, an album not hampered by sub-genre dictums a’la Ska-Punk, Pop-Punk, Crust, Emo or whatever. An album that doesn’t wallow in jokey apathy but is instead, political, focused and biting. An album that is, ultimately, good? Well, you’ll find it here. Dunno where CARRY-ONS are from in the States but they perfectly combine NAKED RAYGUN with HOSTAGE LIFE and throw in a big BOUNCING SOULS vibe (see ‘I Remember’) with a hint of a de-brassed CAPDOWN. Lyrically this is spot on with questions directed at war, insipid bland bands, journalistic deception and more. All are presented with thought and anger where appropriate. Highlights? Well, there’s not a duff track here but the AVAIL-esque ‘Apocalypse Song’, the plaintive ‘The War Is Over’ and ‘Middle Finger Painting’ that has RUTS-style dynamics all deserve a special mention. Production is clear, full and gives the vocals plenty of room to make their point. I would have liked the guitars a bit louder and a smidge more abrasive but that’s purely me looking to be objective! Great band, great album - and bona fide Punk Rock!"   -Scanner Zine 10/10