New Punks Cover Old Punks

Get ready for a punk-rock education when the new Tony Hawk video game hits stores this fall.

Publisher Activision announced that the next video game in the hit skateboarding series — "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland" — will feature 14 classic punk songs covered by some of today's hottest punk and hardcore bands. My Chemical Romance will cover the Misfits' "Astro Zombies." Fall Out Boy will handle the Gorilla Biscuits' "Start Today." Other bands on the roster include Thursday, Taking Back Sunday and Alkaline Trio.

"Tony Hawk's American Wasteland" takes the series to a sprawling Los Angeles skate world styled after the punk scene of the '70s and '80s. The 14 covers will be featured in the game as well as on a soundtrack from Vagrant Records.

Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz said part of his band's enthusiasm for the project came from being able to teach a new generation about punk heroes like the band they covered, New York's legendary Gorilla Biscuits. "It's a band that we grew up on and thought was really cool," Wentz said. "It's definitely influenced Fall Out Boy, so it's definitely cool to be a stepping stone for that band for people to check them out."

The tracks were recorded earlier this summer while many of the bands were on the road. "A lot of the songs were being rehearsed during soundchecks for Warped Tour or wherever they would be," said Tim Riley, head of worldwide music for Activision.

"It's kind of weird," said My Chemical Romance's Mikey Way. "We all showed up at Warped Tour and everybody was kind of like, 'Yo, what song did you do?' "

Jumping on a "Tony Hawk" soundtrack was a natural for many of the bands, whose roots are in skateboarding. "For six, seven years of my life that's all I did was skateboard," said Thrice's Teppei Teranishi.

"We all grew up skateboarding," said Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio. "I don't know that we were ever very good."

But what some of the bands lacked in skateboarding skills they seemed to make up for in gaming ability. "A 'Tony Hawk' game has always been in our bus or van," said My Chemical Romance's Ray Toro. "In some way, shape or form, somebody's always playing it."

Toro's skill with the game may have even helped with his band's song for "American Wasteland." "When we were recording the song, I was actually picturing playing the game to the song," he said.

Toro isn't the only soundtrack performer with a jones for "Hawk." "Those were like some of the best games that have ever been made," Fall Out Boy's Joe Trohman said. "You could play them for hours upon end."

"You did, actually," bandmate Patrick Stump replied.

"I rule at them," Trohman said. "I'll challenge anyone."

Track listing for the "Tony Hawk's American Wasteland" soundtrack, according to Activision:

* Taking Back Sunday - The Descendents' "Suburban Home"/"I Like Food"
* Senses Fail - Suicidal Tendencies' "Institutionalized"
* Alkaline Trio - TSOL's "Wash Away"/"Beneath the Shadows"
* Emanuel - The Stooges' "Search and Destroy"
* Fall Out Boy - The Gorilla Biscuits' "Start Today"
* Thursday - The Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love?"
* From Autumn to Ashes - Fear's "Let's Have a War"
* Hot Snakes - Government Issue's "Time to Escape"
* Thrice - Minor Threat's "Seeing Red"/"Screaming at a Wall"
* Saves the Day - The Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer"
* My Chemical Romance - The Misfits' "Astro Zombies"
* Rise Against - Black Flag's "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie"/"Fix Me"
* Dropkick Murphys - The Adolescents' "Who Is Who"
* The Bled - Bad Brains' "House of Suffering"