Another day another quality record hits the shelves from Pirates Press. It’s been a while since we had some nasty snarling punk rock hit the streets, God knows there’s enough to be pissed off with around the spinning rock we reside on from the UK and our shitty corrupt government filling their greedy boots to the USA and the MAGA cult and their former commander in chief with his 30,000 lies his disciples swallow day in day out to Putin, The middle east it’s not a very nice place out there kids and sometimes we cry out for a record to mirror that instability back to us and offer us some hope and if not hope then a fist or a boot to stomp it out until the pressure is lifted and then The Complicators new album drops on my lap and all seems fair game with the opening salvo of the rapid and brutal punk rock of ‘Pressure’ no nonsense hit it and hit it hard punk rock is ringing out through my speakers loud and fucking clear. ‘Keep Your Hands Up’ is a blast as is ‘Blink Of An Eye’ bordering on the NYHC of old but a little more tempered and measured married to the Rancid early days of punk rock from the opposite coast.

Of course they’re from San Fran it is in their DNA and running through their music like Blackpool runs through a stick of rock. It’s shouty, angry, pissed off, and snarling like a badass dog who’s looking to bite your big fat lazy ass. ‘Trolls’ opens with a very tasty bass line. ‘I See’ is a great Bass and guitar riff with some sweet tones ringing out not too dissimilar from the last few Last Resort records style-wise.

As the record flows the punk rock comes thick and fast not straying from the MO with some big riffs ringing out like the tasty ‘Working Man’ with its extended intro its got some momentum and plenty of punch. ’86ed’ is leaping out of the fast Rancid riff handbook with a bit of Bad Religion going on as well.

They veer slightly into hard rock territory for ‘American Shame’ it’s big and bruising. This dozen-track album closes out in style with ‘Street Diamonds’ harking back to an Exploited style middle finger in the air. They take no prisoners and aren’t going out with a whimper. The Complicators deliver a pretty uncomplicated album full of piss and vinegar and something to play when you’re making those Molotov cocktails when the revolution comes a knocking. Turn it up, its punk as fuck!

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Author: Dom Daley