Admin

Total Post: 3753

A turbocharged Rock and Roll website.

This Machine kills fascists

This Machine kills fascists

 

For the first of hopefully many features, we’ve asked our regular guitar teaching scribe Leigh to pick through some players setups and gear rigs to hopefully get to the bottom of how a guitar sound is made. First up under the microscope is Los Angeles guitar player and now solo artist Mike Christie whose record we recently reviewed here at RPM. He talks guitars, amps and pedals with Leigh…

Mike Christie is one of the busiest players on the LA scene, between his many hours spent throwing shapes and breaking hearts he finds time to be a total gear nerd. He took the time to sit down with RPM’s Leigh Fuge to chat gear.

Leigh: Tell us a little bit about what you’re busy working on right now? What studio and live projects are you currently working on?

Mike: Currently I’m pushing the solo album. Some reviews/interviews are starting to come in, and I’ll be scheduling an appearance on the “Black Lung Show” soon. Just trying to keep it all up to date. As far as live projects, I recently joined up with Something Ferocious. Guys from the Amplifiers, and the Misguided. This is pretty new (a few weeks) for me. The band has been together for some time now, but I believe they have gone through a few line-up changes. I’m coming in working on some of their older stuff and writing some new tunes for them. We have a few shows coming up in Southern California over the next few weeks. I’m also working on a 60’s influenced Neo Soul band called Briana & the Fates. Briana has a hell of a voice and was kind enough to sing on my solo record. We have a debut E.P. we are currently working on and played our first show in Texas last month with the Bastards of Soul. Between all of that, and continuously writing for all 3 projects, it keeps me pretty busy.

Leigh: Let’s talk guitars, is there a number one that you tend to gravitate towards or are there are few in circulation with you?

Mike: Can’t say that I have a current #1. Over the years I think a lot of people saw me with the early 2000’s white Gibson Les Paul Custom. I toured heavily with that guitar and I used it for a lot of the ADHD, White Demons and Hellride shows. Skipping ahead a little bit, I tend to build a new rig around a specific project. If I’m lucky I’ll be able to use the guitar with a few different projects. Right now, I have been relying heavily on a 1989 Gibson 335 I bought of Kevin Bombay (Black Marquee). He’s an even bigger gearhead than I am. There’s a group of friends that basically circle like vultures when Kevin gets a new guitar because we know it’s just a matter of time until one of us gets a shot at buying it off him. The 335 is all over the Solo Record and the Briana & the Fates record. It’s getting quite a bit of play time with Something Ferocious as well.

Leigh: What about the 335 is so special to you? I have a couple of 335s myself and love them.

Mike: The 89 Gibson 335 is just a solid guitar. It’s a little old, heavily worn and get the job done for damn near everything I’m currently working on. I have always loved hollow-body guitars and over the past few years, I have been leaning more towards lower output pickups. This allows me to make the amp work a little harder and not have to depend on pedals as much. This guitar has a Bigsby which is new for me but came in handy for the soul band and I get a lot of use out it for the rock stuff as well. It’s loaded with a set of Alnico II humbuckers (about 8.2k in the bridge, and probably about 7.8k in the neck), a 50’s style wiring harness and a treble bleed mod. This guitar is a beast, I haven’t weighed it, but it feels much heavier than most of the Les Pauls I have owned in the past. I can get so many tones out of this guitar between the pickups, rolling off my volume or tone knob and some combination of the 3. It’s very easy to control the feedback at high volume, higher gain settings, and just screams when I step on boost. It has that really great musical feedback that I can weave in and out of between notes.

Leigh: What other guitars might someone see in your rig?

Mike: I’ve had a 92 Gibson Les Paul special that I have played on and off since the early 2000’s.  It was originally a two P-90 guitar that was routed out for a humbucker in the bridge. It was also heavily damaged in a flood when I was living in Arizona. A few years later, I put some work into it and its back up and running. There’s a Halo 335 hollow body (first guitar endorsement I ever got from a company in Southern California, not sure if they are still around) that I still play. I have completely re-done the entire guitar. Paint has been stripped, new tuners, pickups, and wiring harness. It’s currently loaded with a set of the Dimarzio 36th anniversary PAF humbuckers,  Emerson wiring harness, and  Grover tuners. I also picked up a Nash T63 recently (also from Kevin Bombay), loaded with a set of Joe Barden single coils. I was never a Tele guy, but this guitar has a huge baseball bat neck, good size frets and just plays fantastic.

Leigh: Do you find that you gravitate towards one brand or are you someone who owns quite a diverse guitar collection?

Mike: For most of my life I have always been a Gibson guy. I guess it’s just how I grew up. There’s something about those vintage Gibson’s that I have always gravitated towards. Some sort of Gibson has always been the basis of my sound regardless of the type of band I’m playing in. I have only wanted/needed other types of guitar for studio work mainly. Fortunately, most studios or friends of mine have let me use or borrow anything I needed.

Leigh: What amps are you using to make yourself heard?

Mike: Right now, I’m down to just a 1996 Korg Era Vox AC30. I picked it up specifically for the solo record and threw in a set of T.A.D. tubes. Those Alnico Blues just sit great in a mix, especially against a Marshall or other EL34 based amp. I have gone through a number of amps over the years, most recently I was playing a TopHat King Royal, Divided by 13 RDT 200 or a Friedman. The Vox sounds amazing and I can get some great tones out of it for rock music and/or the soul band. It is ungodly loud when you really open it up. It just sits in its own space and is damn near impossible to drown it out even in a loud band. It is also extremely unforgiving which has made me a much better player.

Leigh: Do you have a one-stop shop rig that you use for each project or are you someone that builds a rig for a job. Personally, I drive myself nuts with this because I totally re-build my rig each time I have something different to do.

Mike: Much like you, I typically build a rig around each project. If I get multiple uses, it’s just a bonus.  There are always the tried and true amps that will work for anything rock related. You can’t go wrong with a JCM 800 or a solid JMP. I have stuck with the Vox for now 1.) because its sounds awesome and 2.) I can typically find another guitar player with a great Marshall sound but it’s really hard to find the Vox guy. I decided recently to be that guy and it’s been really enjoyable. The EL84 break-up and sparkly chime make me rethink what I add to each song and how it will sit against another guitar tone.

Leigh: Are you a pedal user or do you prefer the direct approach? If so, what’s usually on the board?

Mike: It really depends on the situation. If I’m in the studio I try to go as direct as possible to clean up my signal path unless it’s a very specific overdub however I always bring a ton of pedals with me.  Live performances are a whole other deal. Nowadays live I’m almost always depending on a boost of some sort and some sort of slapback delay to thicken up my sound at least. With the band Something Ferocious, I’m running a TC Electronics Polytune, RYRA Treble Boost, Xotic EP Booster, a wah, a buffer and an MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe. If I’m playing guitar for Briana & the Fates (I’ll bounce between bass/guitar depending on the players we have at the time), I’m running a tuner, Magnetic Effects Double Feature, Modified Tube Screamer, Malekko Spring Chicken and an MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe. Certain projects I have played in have been heavily pedal based. With the Black Marquee, I was playing bass live and had a pedal board that put most guitar player’s boards to shame. We ran a lot of fuzz pedals live and I needed to cover different frequency spectrums for different songs. In order to not muddy up the live mix, I would use different fuzz boxes, dirt boxes, micro synth, EQ pedals etc. Now the Black Marquee was a pretty extreme example, and on the other end of the spectrum when playing bass in Briana & the Fates, I’m simply running a tuner, a D.I., and that’s it.

Buy Guitar Effects 

Author: Leigh Fuge

Video of the week

Video of the week

Not sure how many website will be pulling this banger out of the bag as their video of the week but we love Roy and we love The Good The Bad And The zugly so it was a no-brainer that it was going to be a video we needed to share with you good folk out there in cyder space.  Raise a glass and rock on mother truckers BuyTGTBATZ Here or the single from any of these

 

UK Subs – Sub Mission The Best Of The UK Subs 1982-1998 (Fall Out / JungleRecords)

UK Subs – Sub Mission The Best Of The UK Subs 1982-1998 (Fall Out / JungleRecords)

The lesser known of the Record Store Day family would be the winter version that leans more towards North America and this Black Friday offerings might well be a bit thin on the ground that might all be changing with Jungle being involved in knocking out a few must-have purchases and this latest offering will be of great interest to UK Subs fans (obviously).  Sure this summer just passed the Subs released their entire back catalogue over two box sets that were nicely housed inside a book like cover and split over two periods they housed every single A-Z in the bands releases which was very nice as it had stuff that was fairly hard to find even for avid collectors of Subs stuff but it was all available for under seventy sheets in most places with Charlie’s signature and limited to 1000 pieces.  Well maybe someone somewhere will take on the same collection but on vinyl, however, I’d imagine it might be a little more expensive so one will have to make do.  there is one album included in that set that was released as part of the A-Z but it never got a vinyl release ever.  Until now that is and the good people at Jungle and Fall Out records have taken on the job of producing a double album pressed on yellow and blue vinyl and limited to 500 pieces so you’ll have to be fairly diligent and quick to find a copy before they are all hoovered up.

 

housed in a gatefold sleeve with pictures of all the Subs who passed through the band in the time period and a brief description of each track and where the versions come from.  the one thing that shines through is how diverse the Subs have always been and they certainly aren’t a one trick pony.  I particularly like the Gibbs vocals on ‘Drag Me Down’ from the Killing time Album and the take of Die Toten Hosen ‘Here Comes Alex’ which was done in return for the version of ‘Stranglehold’ that Hosen did prior to this. Subs lyrics have always been on point and relevant except maybe fo r’Hey Santa’ depending on how you view things but ‘Ozone Death’, ‘Warhead’ ‘Riot’ could all have been written yesterday to be fair as sad as it is to say.

Having seen the band recently they are indeed alive and well and still on tour and kicking up a shit storm and as relevant as ever with a new EP on the way as well as Alvin Gibbs having his debut solo album ready to drop.

‘SUB MISSION’, was compiled by Charlie Harper, how he chose the best 20 tracks from their albums F – R I’ll never know although this is indeed a pretty good starting point.  And the bonus of a previously unreleased live recording of the Subs in top form in Bristol 1991adds exceptional VFM. Now we can carry on arguing as to which is the best line up.  any of these? The first? Current?  Does it matter as long as there is a UK Subs playing a venue near you someday soon.

Buy Vinyl RSD Sub Mission Here

Time&Matter Website

 

MC5 – Thunder Express (Jungle Records)

MC5 – Thunder Express (Jungle Records)

So it would seem Black Friday 2018 has got some very decent reissues or first time on vinyl releases set for this week. One such gem is MC5 ‘Thunder Express’.  A compilation of the bands material this is pressed on Green and Red splatter (very nice too) its been released to coincide with MC50’s tour dates and shows what an absolute thunder Express the MC5 were.  From the incendiary fueled ‘Kick Out The Jams’  to the inclusion of bonus material that is the early singles ‘Looking At You’ and ‘Borderline’. An essential purchase? Why not if youre an avid collector of the band then of course this is its also housed with an inner bag that has the White Panthers ’10 point programme’ as well as brief interview and sleeve notes the live material is culled from a French TV performance from ’72 so right towards the end of the bands reign but don’t for a moment think they had lost any of their boundless energy or verve because they hadn’t. It’s not only about the incredible guitar riffs or that voice but the rhythm section was absolutely thunderous and incendiary and still an inspiration today.

‘Thunder Express’ bookends nicely the bands recording output first four tracks from those debut two singles and then the live performance in France there can be no denying the MC5 contribution to music, alternative music, punk and garage rock was and is immense. As well as their most famous song ‘Kick Out The Jams’ you have an extended workout of ‘Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa’, Ramblin Rose’ and the sleazy blues jaunt that is ‘Motor City Is Burning’.

 

These might not be the best versions of the songs that can be up for debate but even in the twilight of their existence, they had the chops to devastate and between Tyner, ‘Sonic’ Smith, Kramer, Davis, Moorhouse and Thompson they did indeed kick out the jams motherfuckers! As for the clicks n pops on ‘Looking At You’ that makes me smile – like the original tapes were ever going to be located and as the levels peak and dip that’s another reason to make this a bit special and another reason to not ignore RSD in 2018.

Buy The RSD Vinyl Here

Youth Avoiders – Relentless (Destructure Records)

Youth Avoiders – Relentless (Destructure Records)

France brings the noise to RPM who’d have thought it? Not really known for producing really popular bands it would be crass of me to suggest a whole country as big as France doesn’t have hardcore scenes especially a city the size of Paris but before today I couldn’t name a single one – well that has all changed with my introduction to Youth Avoiders.  When the bosses at RPM sent me an assignment to uncover something they’d not heard before this was a no-brainer for me. From the moment the needle drops right through to the end of ‘Ohaguro’ they plow a hardcore furrow that is both fruitful and enjoyable.  Their harvest is nothing short of tuneful breakneck hardcore ‘On The Run’ starts off proceedings and whilst it doesn’t have the history of say NYHC it certainly has quality running through it like a stick of seaside rock and Youth Avoiders are uncompromising and as brutal as anyone on the scene but they also have the songs which will set them aside from other noise bringers.

As the artwork alludes there is a dense black and white feel to the music as they capture the cold brutal yet melodic and welcoming punk rock.  A band that has been around for some time have just gotten better as they have refined their sound and songs to a point where there is a steady progression every record and this ‘Relentless’ album being the pinnacle of their body of work thus far.  I love the charm and melody of ‘Watch Me’ and ‘Street Violence’ is like a street fight caught and melted into plastic grooves it’s breathless and a musical punch after punch after kick.

The band has tirelessly toured this record and visited the UK as well as a lot further afield to show just how good Parisian Hardcore is and hopefully if there are others in their scene ready to make music as good as this then we welcome them.  Every song on ‘Relentless’ is exactly that – relentless. A short sharp shock to the system that Hardcore is alive and kicking and with bands like Youth Avoiders playing and making music it will never die.

 

Buy Youth Avoiders Here

Facebook

Author:Seb Boyd

He Who Cannot Be Named/The Hip Priests – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club – 10th November 2018

He Who Cannot Be Named/The Hip Priests – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club – 10th November 2018

Ben Hughes

Now here’s a crackin’ combo if ever I saw one. Dwarves guitarist He Who Cannot Be Named and our very own punk rock faves The Hip Priests joining forces for a string of UK shows. A trip to the Brudenell in Leeds was a given for me, The Hip Priests were mighty with Thee Hypnotics earlier this year and He Who Cannot Be Named…well, how can you not be intrigued by a guy who wears just a ski mask and a codpiece on stage? I can’t wait to battle through the punk rock hordes to the front for a magnificent hot and sweaty punk rock show.

 

Hang fire a minute! Have I got the wrong night or even the wrong venue? There’s some shite indie band called 77:78 on in the main room and this show is in the Community Room tonight. Ok, I’ve seen bands in there before, it’s not the same atmosphere, more of a school gym feel, but hey ho…let’s go!

It’s 8.30pm, The Hip Priests are due on and there is nobody here, literally nobody! What the hell Leeds, is there some other show going on I don’t know about?

They give it 15 minutes before cracking on as the Spasm Gang Leeds massive finally filter in, 25 people at a stretch and it doesn’t get any busier for the whole night. If this was York, I could understand it, but Jesus, this is Leeds! We are in the heart of studentville with the Uni just around the corner and the bar next door is jam-packed with alternative looking dudes and dudettes who seem none the wiser about some punk rock show going on next door.

 

Zero fucks are given by The Hip Priests, they play a blinder anyways. From the opening salvo of ‘Livin’ Breathin’ Lightning’ and ‘Instant Delinquent’ to the closing ‘Sonic Reproducer,’ they deliver 40 minutes of high octane rock ‘n’ roll with all the thrills and spills you could desire.

The black denim clad brothers, led by panda eyed singer Nathan Von Cruz, blast their way through a selection of 7 inch singles and choice album cuts from their very strong back catalogue of Stooges/Hellacopters influenced rock ‘n’ roll.

To Von Cruz’s left, bassist Lee Love keeps the low end tight and guitarist Silent Mike keeps the riffs coming, giving Austin Rocket the freedom to pull all the rock guitarist shapes he can muster stage right. With his back arched and his guitar pointed to the stars, he peels off sonically powered licks and wah-wah induced solos on the likes of ‘MF Superior’.

With chanting choruses aplenty, the likes of ‘Jesus Died So We Could Ride’, ‘Sha Na Na Na Nihilist’ and latest single ‘Cheers To Me’ would make even the most staid of observers nod their heads and sing along.

The Hip Priests look and sound fantastic, and with more than a handful of glorious anthems to get high and get wasted to, can you really deny them their claim to be “the best band on shit island”?

 

When you come on stage with nothing but a studded leather codpiece, a Mexican wrestler mask and an arsenal of quirky punk rock anthems such as ‘Getting Pissed’ and ‘Duct Tape Love’, the chances are you will not fail to entertain. And Dwarves guitar slinger He Who Cannot Be Named does just that, with the help of a very tight band.

Running through his solo back catalogue and a few Dwarves songs for good measure, the band veer between catchy Ramones styled goodness and fast as fuck hardcore. They even chuck in a fantastic cover of ‘Commando’ for good measure. Rarely have songs about drinking, fucking things and killing things sounded so uplifting!

While HWCBN handles lead vocals, quirky moves and switching between two battered road worn guitars, its bassist Bobby Wilcox who takes center stage and does most of the talking. With his bass hanging from his knees and sporting a Ramones shirt, he looks and plays the part to perfection. To his side, Keith Mueller plays the leads and Eric Borst seems to be having the time of his life bashing away on them skins behind them, what a drummer!

Talking of behinds, the drummer wasn’t the only one to get an eyeful of bare punk rock arse. The moment HWCBN bends over to change his amp settings will be embedded in my mind for some time. Let’s just say that codpiece was a little on the loose side. Unfortunately, you can’t un-see some things!

‘I Eat Babies’ sounds amazing, pure pop-punk goodness, and there’s plenty of “oi oi” style chanters thrown in for good measure. ‘Good Problem’ from the newly released album ‘The Good, The Bad and the Brutal’ is instant and fits the set perfectly.

To be honest, He Who Cannot Be Named were the most entertaining band whose songs I don’t really know, that I have seen in a long time (if you catch my drift?).

 

The Leeds punk massive may have stayed at home, but the faithful few were treated to two great bands tonight that truly deserved a bigger crowd. I just hope the crowds are bigger for the rest of the dates, as I don’t believe this is just a Northern thing, is it?

I am trying not to be too downhearted about gig attendances, but with disappointing turnouts at the last 4 gigs I have attended, it does make me worry about the future of underground music. I feel for the bands, I really do, it must be soul destroying playing to empty rooms, but the likes of The Hip Priests and He Who Cannot Be Named are consummate professionals and continue to play every show like its packed, and it’s up to all of us to continue supporting live music before the bands we love disappear for good.

 

Buy He Who Cannot Be Named Here

Buy The Hip Priests Here

Photos courtesy of Neil Vary Photography

Civic – New Vietnam (Anti Fade Records)

Civic – New Vietnam (Anti Fade Records)

Sometimes somewhere a band comes out of the shadows and blows your socks off. Well, Civic just about did that and had the foundations of RPM HQ shaking to its core as the reckless guitars and Moon the loonesque drum beats tour it up through the speakers.  The unrelenting evil powers of Rock and Roll came out of the Melbourne suburbs and across oceans to get to us but boy when it did it has lost none of its sheer power or excitement.  No, it’s not original but what Civic have done is captured all the excitement of Rock and Roll and slammed it down within these here grooves along with the danger and sheer adrenaline rush you sometimes get off of hearing a band for the first time.  but it’s not all crash bang wallop, no sir.

 

We don’t mind arriving at the party fashionably late sometimes it’s a necessity to let the dust settle and the important thing is your here now. Not a great deal is known about Civic we couldn’t find much if any cyber presence and our contacts down under seemed a little cakey maybe they’re dangerous to know and people are keeping their new favourite band close to their chests.  Anyway, Let’s get this show on the road and try and make sense of the seven songs carpet bombed over twenty minutes.

‘Nuclear Son’ sort of sets the tone its like many previous Australian bands that we know and so should you have a feeling that seems uniquely southern Hemisphere but there are certainly elements of The Saints and Radio Birdman going on here as well as obvious inspirations like Iggy and the Stooges but ‘Nuclear Son’ is like audio nitrogen its off like a rocket sure there is a certain amount of ‘Raw Power’ happening but damn its sounds great as it pounds toward the guitar break its not anything new but boy does it still give me a rush when its done this well.  Jim McCullough, Lewis Hodgson, Darcy Grigg, Roland Hlavka and David Forcier make up Civic and they should take a bow because this is fantastic.  It only took me a few plays and I’ve been hooked ever since.  From the thrash bang wallop of the openers to the slow burn of ‘Street Machine Dream’ and its sleazy dark pace its a fantastic collection of songs.

‘Call The Doctor’ could be a newly found Banshees song given a steady diet of Australian Beer and dragged around a bunch of dive bars as it builds and moves away from the opening guitar lick the bass is more of a stomp than a throb but the howls of Call The Doctor couldn’t be more appropriate. They finish this heart-pumping seven with ‘Burning Steel’ and just let it rip.  Like I’ve alluded to these guys don’t reinvent the wheel just spin it like a motherfucker and see where it goes and luckily for them, they’ve collided it into a bunch of awesome influences and managed to squeeze out a superb album that I really honestly suggest you should investigate.  If you’ve ever had the slightest inkling or hankering for some punk rock whatever genre or garage rock or whatever rock you like then check this bad boy out.  You can thank me later.

Bandcamp

Anti Fade Records Facebook

Author:Dom Daley

Smash Fashion ‘Rompus Pompous’ (Electric Pudding)

Smash Fashion ‘Rompus Pompous’ (Electric Pudding)

I think it is important to start with the disclaimer that Smash Fashion has a history of being hit and miss with me. I went into this album expecting that relationship to be more of the same, especially after the video for ‘Runs in the Family’ did nothing for me, but I am happy to say that song seems to be the exception as I have found much to enjoy here.

‘Can’t Take you Anywhere” features a glitter inspired glam guitar riff circa ’77 to start the album on a great note. Roger Deering channels a voice from a bygone era in his vocals, and Smash Fashion immediately made me sit up and pay more attention back on my first listen to this album. With a chorus that sticks like molasses, this would have been my first video from the album. Up next, ‘Soft as a Rock’ continues the hot streak with a jangly guitar riff by Lloyd Stuart Casson leading into a nearly 6 minute epic song. Scarlet Rowe (bass) and Repo Kauppila (drums) provide a tight rhythm section that allows some great starts and stops with Kauppila providing some great drum fills. The musical coda at the end sets up some future jams for the band with a great solo by Casson closing the song. The title track features a slinky beat that explodes into another dimension for the chorus, which has made the song much more enjoyable for me. It provides some great dynamics and builds anticipation throughout the song with the guitar solo being an extra surprise on your first few listens as it appears right before the final chorus.

Harmonica and a blues riff welcome ‘Wolves of Wonderland.’ I have to say one of the amazing things about Smash Fashion is they can take a 5 minute song and make it seem as short as a 3 minute single. The extended solo section here providing another great musical avenue to explore in the live setting. ‘Teenage Demon’ struts out of the speaker like an adrenalin laden T.Rex with spoken word voices giving the song additional texture. This song suffers a bit from not having a more immediate hook as it does take some patient to get its hooks into the brain. Musically, the band channels the glitter glam era exceptionally well with the slow strutting ‘Proper Way to Eat a Muffin’ delivering the goods musically, but the lyrics are just a little too silly for me. It is a fine line sometimes and different for all of us. As I mentioned at the beginning, ‘Runs in the Family’ just does not connect with me at all. It has improved a bit with repeated listens, and I have to say that I enjoy the final ¾ of the song more than the beginning.

Slowing things down a little bit, ‘Tender was the Hook’ serves up a great chorus with Deering twisting his voice around the great beat by Rowe and Kauppila. This song channels the 70’s with perhaps some sprinkles of Nikki Sudden and Dave Kusworth added for good measure. The rock and roll infused ‘Ugly Thugly’ finds Casson letting loose on the guitar with Deering supplying another catchy chorus that would make Bolan and Bowie proud. ‘Gentle Hand’ begins with an awesome guitar riff and features a great hook by Deering. This would be one of my future singles/ videos if I was marketing the album as it hits hard and direct. This is another of my favorites and reminds me of the brilliant and just dissolved Dr. Boogie. The soft ‘Smiles and Daggers’ brings the album to a close with some very nice piano work. It provides something completely different from everything that comes before it. I have not found myself going specifically to it for a listen but do enjoy ending each listen of the album with it as it really winds things down nicely since it builds to an epic rock finish.

Smash Fashion have delivered an album that has made me much more of a fan of the band as the only real stumble for me comes in the middle of the album. They start and finish strong though. If you are looking for some cool rock and roll that will leave your room covered in sequins, glitter, and satin; Smash Fashion will hit the sweet spot for you.

Buy Here

Facebook

Artistcard

Author: Gerald Stansbury

 

 

 

Sick Of It All – ‘Wake The Sleeping Dragon’ (Century Media)

Sick Of It All – ‘Wake The Sleeping Dragon’ (Century Media)

Johnny Hayward.

Sick Of It All album reviews kind of write themselves these days with a large proportion of them either falling into the “this is no ‘Scratch The Surface’” or “it’s their best record in decades” camps, with journos being awarded extra special brownie points if they can actually manage to squeeze them both in. For yours truly it’s more of a case of how much of a battering I feel like I’ve had after each new record, because since the release of ‘Death To Tyrants’ back in 2006 I don’t think the band has put a foot wrong release wise.

That’s 12 years of almost non-stop musical perfection encompassing five studio albums, a 30th anniversary EP and God knows how many sweat soaked sold out shows worldwide. ‘Wake The Sleeping Dragon’ then (album number 5 of this winning streak and album number 12 overall from the band) is exactly what I have come to expect from Messrs Koller, Majidi and Setari, just 17 blasts of brutal hardcore at its very best.

You can try and dissect ‘Wake The Sleeping Dragon’ all you want but ultimately the Sick Of It All sound really is their trademark with no ballads, no jazz fusion interludes and not one of the songs breaking the 2 minutes and 40 seconds mark, so there’s also no “shock horror” clickbait headline to accompany this review. ‘Wake The Sleeping Dragon’ is simply the sound of the masters of the genre relishing every single second of their day job and in the process they deliver steamrolling anthems like ‘That Crazy White Boy Shit’, ‘Bad Hombres’ alongside the album’s incendiary title track, each one meticulously designed to make you lose your shirt and your mind in a frenzied mosh pit when the Sick Of It All guys come to a town near you very soon.

Having never been afraid to hold back when it comes to their lyrics, the pick of the bunch here is ‘Robert Moses Was A Racist’, a 1 minute 28 explosion of rage directed at the legacy of New York City’s “master builder” whilst in ‘Beef Between Vegans’ there is a timely nod towards the bigger discussion point of the moment, no not fucking Brexshit, but the world’s ever diminishing resources.

Short, sharp and always on point ‘Wake The Sleeping Dragon’ doesn’t so much as raise the bar for hardcore release worldwide as take a flamethrower to the bar and let the rest of the scene dance around the ashes Sick Of It All leave behind. I fucking love this album and I’m pretty sure you will too.

This is one release destined for the playlist at Daley’s Pumphouse gym that’s for sure.

Buy Wake The Sleeping Dragon Here

Website

Facebook