Org Music is proud to announce the release of “We Will Fall”, a daring and hypnotic reinterpretation of The Stooges’ 1969 track by drummer Larry Mullins (aka Toby Dammit) and legendary bassist Mike Watt. Available exclusively for Record Store Day Black Friday on November 28, 2025, this nearly 40-minute piece transforms the haunting original into a sprawling ritual of repetition, restraint, and raw atmosphere.
Mullins, known for his work with Iggy Pop, Swans, and Nick Cave, constructs a minimalist landscape with shruti box, Moog electronics, tabla, and gongs. Watt, best known for Minutemen and countless other projects, mutates his unmistakable low-end from subtle heartbeat to full-body hallucination. Together they channel the eerie pulse and narcotic drone of the original track, pushing its trance-inducing core into uncharted territory. The result is not a conventional cover, but an extended invocation: part séance, part dirge, part free-form exploration of mood and mind.
“We Will Fall” is the latest instalment in Mullins and Watt’s ongoing series of Stooges reinterpretations. The two previously performed together in the final iteration of The Stooges, lending the project a direct lineage. Pressed on 12” vinyl and split across two full sides, the release is limited to 1,000 copies, half on gold vinyl and half on black, selected at random. It will be available at participating independent record stores in the US and UK on Record Store Day Black Friday.
HARD-ONS: THE MOST AUSTRALIAN BAND EVER! BLU RAY BOXSETS ON THE WAY AS SEQUAL HARDER AND HARDER SET TO HIT SCREENS.
BLU RAY, STANDARD BOXSET AND DELUXE BOX-SET AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW. DELUXE EDITION INCLUDES LP SOUNDTRACK CONTAINING ACTUAL HARD-ONS BLOOD!
HARDER AND HARDER, THE SEQUAL TO THE MOST AUSTRALIAN BAND EVER! LAUNCHES OCTOBER 30!
The Most Australian Band Ever!, the internationally acclaimed 2024 documentary about the early days of legendary Sydney punk band the Hard-Ons and the Winner of Best Film at the LA Punk Film Festival, is finally set for a physical release on Blu-ray, just as the film’s sequel Harder and Harder, which picks up where the first film left off, is set for a run in Australian cinemas.
The Most Australian Band Ever! is available to preorder now in both regular and deluxe boxset Blu-ray editions. Both are limited edition, and both are only available from the film’s official online store (see links below).
The Regular Boxset includes the Blu-ray Digipack with 16-page booklet,movie (HD with 5.1 audio) and 45 minutes of bonus content, a CD Soundtrack album containing music and dialogue from the film, a 12 page Box Set Booklet, a pack of Most Australian Band Ever! trading cards (also available separately – collect the set!), an Iron-On Transfer and a Most Australian Band Ever! sticker.
The Deluxe Boxset adds an extra pack of trading cards, a download code for 1 hour video extras EXCLUSIVE to the Deluxe boxset and, most importantly, a LIQUID BLOOD VINYL Soundtrack made with the actual blood of Ray and Blackie *** !
The CD and LP versions of the soundtrack album both feature the following tracks, along with brief moments of dialogue from the film
As the boxsets for The Most Australian Band Ever! become available to pre-order, we can confirm that the film’s sequel, Harder and Harder will be coming to screens across Australia in November.
HARDER AND HARDER
Nothing is easy when you’re The Most Australian Band Ever!
It’s 1997, and the Hard-Ons reform after a three year break. But things have changed, and the underground music scene is now a commercial beast, run by hipster taste-makers. The high-school band from Punchbowl are now yesterday’s heroes. But their love for music – their single driving force – hasn’t changed.
But it’s a new set of problems, as the band faces line-up changes, a brutal assault and balancing family life with music. Aussies have fallen in love with Ray and Blackie in The Most Australian Band Ever!. The Hard-Ons are older, and maybe a little bit wiser. Featuring Tim Rogers and C.J. Ramone, Harder and Harder is an amazing true story of Aussie music and passion.
Starring Raymond Ahn, Peter “Blackie” Black With Keish DeSilva, Pete Kostic, Murray Ruse, Tim Rogers, Angry Anderson, Jannifer Black, Michael Fewings, Mark Fraser, Andrew Gillies, Harry Mal, Lachlan Mitchell, Tim Pittman, C J Ramone, Jay Whalley, Bob Spencer, Jane Hughes, Julien Crendal
Director – Jonathan J Sequeira Written by Jonathan J Sequeira, Nalini Sequeira Executive Producer – Angus Vickery Producers – Jonathan J Sequeira, Nalini Sequeira
Run time: 1 hr 25 mins Rating: MA15+ Frequent coarse language
Harder and Harder: Limited release in Australian cinemas from 1 November 2025 Most Australian Band Ever!: Available on BluRay in Australian stores from December
4/10 – Avalon RSL, Avalon Beach 5/10 – West Best Bloc Fest, Newcastle 16/10 – La La La’s, Wollongong 17/10 – Sussex Inlet Tavern, Sussex Inlet 18/10 – Smokey Dan’s, Tomakin 22/10 – The Metro, Sydney 25/10 – 30 Years of Beatdisc, Parramatta 13/11 – Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Gold Coast 14/11 – The Brightside, Brisbane 21/11 – Barwon Club, Geelong 22/11 – Bendigo Hotel, Melbourne 12/12 – Altar, Hobart Tickets fromhttps://linktr.ee/thehardons
Legendary Manchester punk pioneers Buzzcocks return with a brand-new studio album, Attitude Adjustment – their twelfth to date and another thrilling chapter in one of British music’s most enduring stories.
Bursting with 14 new tracks, Attitude Adjustment finds Buzzcocks doing what they do best: combining raw punk energy with melodic smarts and lyrical bite, all delivered with trademark heart and humour. As Steve Diggle puts it, “It’s punk rock with a Motown vibe! A new album should always have elements of surprise and create its own world, and this does. It avoids the cliché and expands the Buzzcocks’ magical journey.”
From the swaggering opener Queen of the Scene, the album is packed with spirit, invention and attitude — proving once again that Buzzcocks are far more than just a heritage act; they’re a living, evolving force.
Formed in Manchester in 1976, Buzzcocks’ influence on punk and independent music cannot be overstated. Their self-released debut EP Spiral Scratch sparked a revolution, paving the way for generations of DIY musicians and indie labels. Through classics like Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) and What Do I Get?, they helped define the sound and spirit of late-70s British punk.
Though the band sadly lost founding frontman Pete Shelley in 2018, co-founder Steve Diggle has kept the Buzzcocks flame alive — writing, recording and touring with the same passion and purpose that have always defined the group.
Attitude Adjustment stands as a celebration of resilience, creativity and pure rock ’n’ roll energy — proof that nearly five decades on, Buzzcocks still know how to hit hard, hook deep, and move fast.
The band will spend 2025 on the road, including a run of UK dates with The Stranglers this October:
earMUSIC proudly announces 10 MORE, the explosive new live album from MC50, out on December 5th, capturing the unrelenting energy of the 2018 world tour that reignited the spirit of one of rock’s most radical and influential bands.
The album – a companion piece to the 10 x MC5 record included in the bonus version of the 2024 MC5 Heavy Lifting release – is available for preorder via online retailers, and to presave now and on all major digital platforms.
Formed by MC5 founding member Wayne Kramer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kick Out the Jams, the MC50 lineup united an all-star ensemble of rock innovators – Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Brendan Canty (Fugazi), Billy Gould (Faith No More), Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam) and Marcus Durant (Zen Guerrilla) – carrying forward the revolutionary power that made MC5 a lightning rod for change in the late ’60s and ’70s.
Captured live during the 2018 anniversary tour, 10 MORE roars through MC5’s most iconic songs – including “The American Ruse,” “Call Me Animal,” “Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa-Fa-Fa),” “Looking at You”, and “Starship”. With recordings from live shows in Seattle, WA, Cincinnati, OH and Hamburg, Germany, the album spans tracks from all three original MC5 albums – Kick Out The Jams, Back In The USA and High Time, along with a cover of Ray Charles “I Believe To My Soul,” which was a staple of the band’s sets in the late 1960s. These performances recall the same urgency that once echoed through Detroit’s underground, where MC5 fused rock, free jazz and political protest into a sound that challenged America’s status quo.
Following the acclaimed 2024 MC5 studio album Heavy Lifting – produced by Bob Ezrin and released shortly before MC5’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – 10 MORE continues the story of one of rock’s most influential bands with a powerful live recording that celebrates their lasting impact and uncompromising spirit. Stay tuned, new music is coming before the full release in December.
DEALING WITH DAMAGE RETURN WITH NEW SINGLE ‘WRONG SOMETIMES’ – OUT OCTOBER 24TH VIA SERIAL BOWL RECORDS
NEW ALBUM ‘THE LONDON PARTICULAR’ DUE FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 27TH, 2026
FREE ‘SINGLE RELEASE’ GIG AT ACES & EIGHTS, TUFNELL PARK, LONDON, SATURDAY OCTOBER 25th
Following the release of their second album ‘Use The Daylight’ in early 2023, London’s prime proto Next Wave band Dealing With Damage are now steadily on the path to album number three, with new single ‘Wrong Sometimes’.
The first single to be released through their new partnership with Serial Bowl Records, the DIY record label and music collective based in Sunderland, ‘Wrong Sometimes’ is a garage stomping, Sonics shocking blast of energy. It’s a response to the relentlessly depressing news cycle of the doomscroll era that pairs carefully crafted lyrics which weave a growing sense of unease over the top of an infectious, deceptively simple and joyous rocker of a tune. Disappointment, betrayal, isolation and alienation never sounded so good.
‘Wrong Sometimes’ is lifted from Dealing With Damage’s forthcoming third album due for release February 27th through Serial Bowl Records.
Titled ‘The London Particular’, “which is the original name that people gave what came to be known as ‘pea souper’ fogs. This was because of all the particles in the air,” explains singer/guitarist Ed Wenn. “So hence The London Particular. It describes a dangerous smog, and it sounds like a newspaper title, so we thought it was a good vehicle for our take on the fog of shit that’s going on in the world at the moment with the added nod to our hometown where the album was written, rehearsed and recorded.”
Dealing With Damage play a Free Gig at Aces and Eights in Tufnell Park, North London on Saturday October 25th with support from Dinosaur Skull.
Surprises are rare and wonderful. When music decides to just show up and strut and rock and roll and stomp with swagger, swing and raw energy all over you, that’s the rarest surprise and Michael Monroe does not disappoint with his brand new studio album, Outerstellar, set for release via
Silver Lining Music on February 20th 2026.
“Rockin’ Horse is a cool, rockin’ song that we made a great fun video for with the fantastic director Leigh Brooks,” comments Michael Monroe. “We got into different characters on the so-called ‘Waking Up With Michael Monroe’ TV morning show, with me as the host.
And it’s the first time you have ever seen me without make-up (!). Great fun and good times. Hope you enjoy it!”
‘What ‘genre’ is Michael Monroe?’ Oh, go and throw yourself back into the shoebox you restrict yourself to if you need a genre… How about ‘sweet smelling leathery sweat wrapped in one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll voices?’ How about ‘harmonies and vibes swimming in silk scarves and lounging on a beaten sofa in leather pants, with the AM hours alive and the melodies so, so intoxicating?’ And how about ‘attitude! Which screams carefree, not carelessness, confidence, not arrogance, a cocksure sense of self-bathed in the sheer joy of playing the religious experience of real rock ‘n’ roll.’
From loud crashing guitars to harmonicas, to gorgeous acoustic moments, you’ll sing, you’ll dance, you’ll shiver, you’ll shake, and you’ll smell this wonderful exhilarating record in all its weathered biker jacket incense-coated glory and you’ll also realize that whatever the hell is going on in the world right now, when you put this album on, it’s an instant escape to carefree days and an emancipation from worries, fears and woes.
It is EXACTLY what rock ‘n’ roll in its truest sense is meant to be, and Michael Monroe is handing you permission to get lost in the love of it. In fact, just stop reading this, get off your ‘Rockin’ Horse’ and go see Michael Monroe on tour at your first opportunity! In support of the release of Outerstellar, Michael Monroe and the band will embark on a UK co-headline tour with Buckcherry, kicking off in Southampton on February 24th. For a full list of upcoming shows and tickets, visit: michaelmonroe.com – more dates to be announced.
2025:
24 Nov Rock Beyond Rock Vol. 2, Osaka (JP)
25 Nov EX THEATER ROPPONGI, Minato City (JP)
2026:
24 Feb The 1865, Southampton (UK)
25 Feb O2 Ritz, Manchester (UK)
27 Feb KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton (UK)
28 Feb Northumbria Institute, Newcastle (UK)
1 Mar SWG3, Glasgow (UK)
3 Mar Tramshed, Cardiff (UK)
4 Mar The Foundry, Torquay (UK)
6 Mar Rock City, Nottingham (UK)
7 Mar O2 Forum, London (UK)
8 Mar Chalk, Brighton (UK)
3-7 Apr Underground Garage Cruise, Miami (US) to Cozumel (MX)
Outerstellar will be available on Limited Edition 12” White Viny, 12” Turquoise Vinyl, 12” Black Vinyl, CD Digipak, Digital Download, Streaming and special D2C bundles. Available to pre-order now at Here
Fuck me sideways I forgot I left the speakers on full tilt and boy did the neighbours about ten doors away notice once ‘Holy Mother’ marched out of the speakers like a panzer tank set to destroy and plow everything in its way and that was before the vocals kicked in assuring us we hadn’t been lulled into a false sense of security and Mick Geggus new band mean business. Remember when the Rejects recorded an album with Pete Way back in the early 80s? Well, Mick does, and he’s never lost his passion for hard rock n roll. ‘I Wanna Know What It’s Like’ is the sound of a hard-rockin’ band ripping the living shit out of the guitar strings via a full blooded riff and some hefty vocals. It’s got a foot stomping bit of Sparrer in there on the melody, but it’s as much a tip of the hat to bands like Slade and UFO.
It’s not all full tilt ROCK as the reflective ‘Days Of Our Lives’ will testify. With a great hook, it’s made for radio and in another time and place, this would be massive. As far as modern Rock albums go, Punchdrunk Saints have picked up a thing or two along the way. Choruses that hit hard riffs that hit harder and the odd gentler machine gun hand, knowing when to blast off and when to relax and kick back. Sure, there are cliches peppering the album, but who cares live in the moment and sing along, be it a fist in the air or the horns. This album crosses genres and labels, but it shows that there is magic in those fingers and Geggus can pull some shapes with the best of em.
Of the cough cough Ballads on offer ‘I Know How To Find You’ is borderline AOR with strings n all. I’m trying to take it in myself but unashamed and with chests puffed out, it adds texture to the record and is well placed in the running order giving you a breather. No sooner have we caught our breath the filthy, dirty riff of ‘Your Time Is Done’ rises from the darkness, but breaks for a layered chorus I wasn’t expecting amidst the shock and awe of that riff.
‘Dirty Dreams’ ushers in some boogie woogie before a pretty nifty take on the Credence Clearwater Revival classic ‘Fortunate Son’ when vocalist Marc Salmon does a sterling job on a classic rocker. Leaving just a couple of songs with the bounce of ‘Over You’ getting the listener to tap a foot before closing with the acoustic ‘Coming Home’, being, dare I say it, a power ballad, showing that some old punks can slide effortlessly into other genres with ease, power and passion and do it convincingly by writing top tunes and knwing exactly how to polish them off with a warm authentic full bodied production that will impress and elevate the songs for a lasting impression and hopefully set the foundations for somethign long lasting. Hell Yeah! Punchdrunk Saints Rock! Buy It!
Imagine Silver Ginger 5 hooks baked into a power pop or guitar pop band that utilises all band members providing lead vocals at times across 15 brilliant songs that each have their own identity but still sound like the same band… This isn’t punk. It’s not metal. It is one of the best albums of the year for me. The Happy Fits have been around for over 7 years, with their debut album dropping back in 2018. I had never heard of them until I saw the lead video for this new album. There were some line-up changes, and I believe this is the debut of this formation of the band. I have not yet dug into their previous material, but will in time. These 15 songs deserve their own time to shine and showcase what a diamond they have released.
‘Lovesick’ starts with something of a curveball in the slow dreamlike ‘Do You See Me?’ where the band utilises adding layers to the song. The backing vocals are sublime, and the song becomes more powerful as it goes. ‘Everything You Do’ was the first song by the band I ever heard. It was a middle-of-the-night YouTube rabbit hole video that I put on repeat to hear it several times in a row. There is an Abba feel at the beginning, and the song just screams fun out of every pore. One of the cool things The Happy Fits have done to give them a unique sound is to replace the bass with a cello. Calvin Langman’s playing gives a unique feel to the songs, and on ‘Everything You Do’ he sings with such reckless exuberance that the listener cannot help but smile. Add in the scream by Raina Mullen after the minute mark and her lead vocals near the end to make it a song that should have been a huge hit in the late spring. ‘Cruel Power’ was another early single and was something of a grower for me. So much so, it is now one of my favourites on the album. The vocals become the showcase for much of the song, and the rhythm through the verse works perfectly. This song can make the crowd at a club dance and the crowd at a live show jump up and down. The band’s latest single, ‘Lovesick #1 (Misery)’ follows and is another brilliant song. The slow torch/ ballad gives way to a rocker that again showcases the vocal power the band has with Mullen getting the lead for most of the song. An awesome guitar solo by Nico Rose elevates the song even further. ‘The Nerve’ ends side A of the first vinyl and initially felt like a runt in the litter, given the first four songs. Multiple listens, though, demonstrate this is another rocking gem with Langman confessing to a lover ‘baby I’m a piece of shit and I’m the fucking worst.’ It is another huge chorus, and the up-tempo beat gets the listener moving.
After the initial five songs, it may take you a little bit to flip the first album over to dig into the flipside, as you keep dropping the needle back down to hear the first batch again. When you do flip it to side B, you are greeted with the infectious ‘Miss You’. At times, it feels like the verses could have been something Blondie would have done, and the chorus is as huge as an IMAX screen with some ’80s touches while still sounding current. This song is another one where the cello replaces the bass, giving the song a different, more cinematic feel. The gentle tempo of ‘I Could Stare at You for Hours’ provides an excellent touch and change of pace. As they did on the album opener, they utilise layering during the song to help it build, but here they utilise the build to let it all fall away and build again. The band pivot with ‘Sarah’s Song,’ which has struck me from my first listen as something like the Beatles with the harmonies shining brightly. It is a beautiful pop song where the beat conjures up images of the band performing in a field of flowers while the lyrics subvert expectations with lines like ‘and you know all the roses that bloom inside your mind, they all root from sordid sources and the thorns they leave behind.’ The band turn up the tempo again with ‘Shake Me’ (not a Cinderella cover). This is another vocal showcase that gets the foot moving and will have the listener singing along to the chorus quickly. Closing out side B is the brilliant ‘I Still Think I Love You.’ This is an instant power pop classic. The hook in the pre-chorus is huge, and the chorus is even bigger. This became one of my favourite songs when I first heard the album, and nothing has changed in that regard.
The third and final side of the vinyl has absolutely no let-up, with the previous single ‘Wild in Love’ getting it started. I have not spoken of Luke Graydavis on drums yet, but his playing across the album is stellar. Here, he also provides lead vocals. I love that all four members get to showcase their voices across the album. ‘Wild in Love’ has a different feel than the rest of the album, with a slightly electronic feel. The band get back to a pure rock approach on ‘Black Hole’ where the cello again provides some great riffs to add a hint of heaviness to the song. This is another early single and really gives an idea that the band knew they had recorded a classic album by putting two singles on the final side of the vinyl. ‘Superior’ brings back a torch song approach. The orchestration builds and builds throughout to deliver another excellent song. ‘Wrong About Me’ utilises a slow acoustic approach paired with a gorgeous melody. It would have been easy to make this the last song on the album, where it would end with this one really serving as a quiet note to draw the album to a close. If it were not such a great song, it could easily get lost on the album. The listener gets pulled into the song, and it sets up the epic closer ‘I Remember.’ The excellent guitar work by Mullen and Rose again showcased with the record mixed perfectly. The up-tempo beat is given time to manifest itself as everything in the song builds over the first two minutes. The vocal harmonies are beautiful throughout the song, and they end the album on arguably the best song on the album.
Fifteen songs, not a miss in sight. Fifteen beautiful, killer songs that showcase a band where pure magic is happening. The chemistry in the band is so impactful, I expect to see it bleeding out of the vinyl as it plays. One of the reasons I have not explored the back catalogue yet us I cannot get enough of these 15 songs. This is also the first album with Nico and Mullen, so it feels like a debut album to me, as their marks are all over these songs. As I said at the top, this is not a punk or metal album. What it is thoug,h is an album of the year candidate filled with the sounds of rock, pop, power pop, and incredibly huge hooks. These songs are timeless and essential.
Second album from Ex- ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is my introduction to the band, and what a thumping intro it is too. If you, for a second, imagine recent offerings from The Mighty Damned, Classic Godfathers with a dash of The Skids on some of the vocal phrasing, oh, and it also made me want to go and listen to The Professionals when Jonesy was in, obviously. Well, that’s the ballpark Ex- are playing in. It’s meodic punk rock n roll with a firm grip on the history books and one on just being themselves.
The album gets underway with the menacing ‘Say Nothing Do Nothing’ as far as album openers go, this is impressive, grabbing the listener with a clean, full sound, the rhythm is tight and punchy whilst the guitars roll out the rhythm, building up to the chorus with plenty of grunt on the low end before the duelling solo which is well timed and played with loads of sympathy for th esong. The vocals are really good, and the melody is catchy. If you want the opening cut on an LP to grab first-time listeners, then ‘Say Nothing’ is bang on the money. I’m all in, and my attention is grabbed.
Worry not, folks, for the second track ‘Be Warned’ is the most Damned like offering again with a great vocal and melody, it complements the opening track but is full throttle and most enjoyable. As the tracks roll out of the speakers, the album is taking hold of my ears, and I’m thoroughly impressed. The sonic aspects of the album sound like a band who’ve been at this for years in the mould of Skids, Godfathers and even the Stranglers EX- create a very impressive sonic attack. ‘Charm Offensive’ does exactly what it says on the tin, creating an impressive Charm Offensive from the throbbing bass line to the grand vocal delivery The wall of guitars really does fill the room for a massive sound.
‘Feed The Lie’ has the band going for the jugular with a thumping riff sitting on top of a steady back beat, hitting like prime time professionals when Jonesy was in his element. The album folds away track after track effortlessly with increasingly impressive songs. It’s a real collection of blood, sweat and tears. No doubt the band are giving it everything, and I can imagine them recreating this energy effortlessly in the live arena. I particularly like ‘Own Worst Enemy’ and that clinical clean chug of the overdriven guitar sitting on top of the mix next to some impressive vocals and a great hook and melody. Ten tracks, one as impressive as the next and as strong as the previous, this is a band with their heads held high, quietly going about their busines,s knowing they have created one hell of an album and with their chests puffed out songs like ‘Strange Sky’ wouldn’t look out of place headlining big halls with swathes of people singing along at their favourite Scots.
The album is brought to a shuddering halt as ‘You Have The Right TO Remain Silent’ reads the listener the riot act and goes out swinging with a real ball of fury – raging to anyone in earshot its a fantastic was to stick their flag in the dirt and announce Ex- are here and this is what they do – they play loud Rock n Roll hard and with purpose melody and poise. Do yourself a favour and check this out, you absolutely won’t regret it. Buy It
It feels like an eternity since ‘Bring Me The Head Of…’ the last album by Newport punks Bad Sam was released into the world back in 2017, but when it comes to Dean Beddis and Richard Glover, the musicians behind this latest version of the band, it’s always been about quality tunes and never mind how long it takes to write them, which as a result means ‘Trauma’ is packed with 10 cuts of premium punk pomp from da Port….albeit with a 2025 twist.
Taking the live insanity of the Bad Sam line ups that have gone before and distilling it down to singer Beddis and bassist/guitarist/producer Glover might have been considered a risky move by some as the intensity of the band live had always a joy to behold – even if it was like taking your life into your own hands at times. Here though with ‘Trauma’ the “brains” behind the band have momentarily paused operations, observed what is going on around them, and then tweaked the Bad Sam songwriting formula to return angrier than ever before.
There’s been demo tracks released over the past couple of years on Bandcamp, tracks like ‘Pedigree Poor’ and ‘Terrable Dance’ (rechristened ‘Monster’s Dance’ for the album) which hinted at what might be coming, and there’s also been a handful of chaotic local low key gigs that have seen the duo breaking in the new material to ascertain what songs best fit their twisted vision of the future, and as a result ‘Trauma’ is an all out attack on the senses, a record that actually makes you stop and think…”what the fuck is going on in this world?”
‘Emotional Hostage’ kicks things off in fine style as Slayer-esque riffage blends perfectly with industrial drum loops over which the immediately recognisable Beddis barks out his warning of living your life always looking for a return to “the good old days”.
‘Pedigree Poor’ quickly follows, remixed and rabid, it’s a grimy real-life tale of living well below the poverty line. This track demanding you to listen to it on headphones to truly absorb the avalanche of sounds that underpin this anthem for the less fortunate in our society.
Elsewhere, ‘The Van’ sounds just how Public Enemy jamming with a hardcore crossover band should have always sounded, whilst ‘Turn You Off’ is the first of a trio of tracks on ‘Trauma’ that are the closest to the Bad Sam sound of old, with a more straight-ahead punk rock approach.
As ‘Trauma’ reaches its midpoint ‘Silent Death’ comes out of leftfield sounding not unlike err Leftfield and Lydon and it’s almost Gothic chorus would instantly fill a club dance floor if the youth of today still did such things. Recent single ‘Popcorn And Blood’ is a banger too, taking the Killing Jokey dark vibe further and giving it a savage lyrical twist courtesy of Beddis and his views on death tourism. Meanwhile if it’s a throbbing slab of industrial punk all about societal peer pressure you are looking for then you need look no further than ‘Perpetual Consumption’.
‘Trauma’ enters its final trio of songs with ‘Monsters Dance’ staggering out of the speakers like the perfect soundtrack to a zombie parade from a classic George A. Romero film. Then it’s time to return to the more direct Bad Sam sound of old via ‘Salute The Media’ and (the awesomely titled) ‘Tupperware Death Party’ that close the album down in spectacular full pelt punk rock fashion.
The bio that comes with this advance stream of the album sees Rich Glover comparing the band’s sound on ‘Trauma’ as having the energy of Reagan Youth mixed with the power of LARD, and whilst he’s not a million miles off with that description I think there’s actually loads more going on here than he gives himself and Beddis credit for, as ‘Trauma’ is a record that defies categorisation, and in 2025 we absolutely need bands like Bad Sam producing records like this, exciting, challenging, and above all, essential.
It would be Kriminal not to pick up a copy on vinyl or CD when ‘Trauma’ is released on the 28th of November, or you can preorder a copy NOW via the Bandcamp link below.
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