Jonny Manak and the Depressives – Anybody Wanna Skate (Gods Candy Records)

Anybody Wanna Skate, originally it started off life as a 7-inch project but the songs were just too good to hold back on……….

Opener and title track, Anybody Wanna Skate has a great Rocket From the Crypt vibe to it. The hooks are there and the production is perfect, what’s not to like?

Straight into Dead Boys territory with Sick of Feeling Sick, then off to Ramonesville with Sticks and Stones. Barely five minutes in and a quarter of the album gone and I’m already thinking “contender for album of the year.”

Blundertoe is a fine slice of instrumental surf rock, while Gift of Desperation flings you back into the warm and welcoming arms of Johnny Thunders and Dead Boys. With their stall set out, TMNT has another great Ramones feel to it, while 70’s Too Young for Lemmy to Die is another stripped down Rocket From the Crypt stomper, complete with gang vocals and a key change.

‘Anybody Wanna Skate’ is like a selection box of all my favourite bands blended together into the perfect mega-rock-monster. It’s just fucking great!

It’s Fashionable is a bit of a Clash City Rocker, while It’s a Shame reeks of Stiv and Trying to Kill Me is the bastard son of Dee Dee and Cheetah Chrome.

Surfin’ Swami takes us back to the beach in fine surf rock style and builds us right up to the final banger, ZOEY, rounding the album of in fine fast and frantic style.

Anybody Wanna Skate is not only a fine album but it’s also a thing of beauty. It’s available in classic black, limited Red Yellow Black Slash Splatter and Clear with Blue Black and Green Glow in The Dark Splatter; all wrapped up in eye scrambling artwork by Riccardo Bucchioni.

Some bands are born great, others have greatness thrust upon them. Anybody Wanna Skate is the dog’s bollocks…. ave it !!!

Buy ‘Anybody Wanna Skate’: Here

Bandcamp

Author: Fraser Munro