Dirt Box Disco – ‘TV Sex Show’ (Avenue Recordz)

Dirt Box Disco – ‘TV Sex Show’ (Avenue Recordz)

So here it is boys and girls, the seventh (or eighth if you include the ‘Hooray! Hooray!’ compilation) studio album from those lovable punk rock anti-heroes Dirt Box Disco and it’s also their first since the departure of singer Weab.

With news of the frontman’s decision to leave the Disco sending shock waves through the punk rock community back in early 2019 masked guitarist and songwriting dynamo Spunk Volcano decided (with the help of his bandmates; Maff Fazzo on drums, Deadbeat Chris on bass and Danny Fingers on guitar) that the time was right for him to step forward and grasp the microphone with both hands and ‘TV Sex Show’ is the result.

I guess some of you will probably be thinking, “oh it’ll just sound like Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions now”, and yes, on one of two occasions like on the foot to floor mosh pit fight starter ‘VDTV’ and (the first of two bonus tracks on the CD version) ‘Tizwatitiz’ you might have a point, as both of these tunes could (to my ears at least) very easily have been written as Eruptions songs. But, and this is huge BUT, within the context of the fourteen songs (there’s twelve on the vinyl) on ‘TV Sex Show’ this is still very much a Dirt Box Disco record.

Kicking off with ‘Unstoppable’, this a song that is destined to be an immediate live hit. It actually reminds me in many ways of ‘Rum & Cola’ from the band’s ‘Are You Ready?’ EP released back in 2011. It’s a rousing call to arms, a song of solidarity, and a clear message that Dirt Box Disco are not going to be messed about with almost a decade into their career.

‘Insomniac’ which is up next is where ‘TV Sex Show’ really shifts up through the punk rock gears though, and coupled with the trademark Volcano/Fingers six string chugger that is ‘Barebones’ I have to admit that after thinking I might well me doing a Judy Collins by now and asking “where are the clowns?, send in the clowns”, I’m not, and this has to be down to the strength of the songwriting with the likes of ‘I Want Out’, ‘Reminisce’, ‘3 Bottles Down’ and ‘Bitch Full of Stitches’ being some of the catchiest songs the band have ever recorded, and I’m not joking when I say that the Disco sound positively supercharged during the likes of ‘Dickhead And Hype’ and album closer (well if you have the CD anyway) ‘Wake Up’.

There are a couple of tunes that I’ve still yet to fully get my head around, namely ‘The Count of Monte Cristo Lives in San Francisco’ which whilst insanely catchy still has the ominous spectre of ‘Reminisce’ looking over its shoulder, and the same could be said of ‘Ain’t Life Grand’ which is the LP closer that has me thinking I’ll have to buy the CD too just to hear ‘Wake Up’ which really is this set of songs very own ‘Dirtbox Days’.

It would have been all too easy for Dirt Box Disco to have called it a day after Weab left, but it is to Spunk, Maff, Danny and Chris’ credit that they have risen to the challenge by releasing their strongest set of songs since their err.. legendary 2012 album ‘Legends’. So, my advice to everyone is get off your arses check it out sharpish. Pre-sales for ‘TV Sex Show’ are live right now via and if you want to secure one of the mega limited 500 only vinyl LPs you best get your skates on and get clicking the linky.

 

Buy ‘TV Sex Show’ Here

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Author: Johnny Hayward

The Good The Bad And The Zugly – Algorithm & Blues (Fysisk Format)

The Good The Bad And The Zugly – Algorithm & Blues (Fysisk Format)

It’s always a good day when The Zuglys drop a new record of any description.  A bunch of Oslo natives kicking out the jams on their terms – dancing only to their own tune GBZ as we like to call them, are a force of nature and you need to let them into your life it must be pretty empty without them, that’s all I can assume? Besides I’m declaring right here right now that this is the finest Deathpunk album since ’98s ‘Apocalypse Dudes’ which is quite some gap.

Album number four (or five if you include the compilation of early releases) it would be fair to say that Zugly are one of the best-kept secrets in all of punk rock land.  How? Fuck knows is often a few words we use to describe the phenomena or just that people generally haven’t got a clue what’s good for them.  Over the next few paragraphs, I’m hoping to either put you off music for life or help persuade you to click the red words below and go investigate this band of maverick noisemakers.

Right, let’s do this. ‘Algorithm & Blues’ contains thirteen songs of varying levels of intensity mostly stressful full-on in your face punk rock Oslo style without compromise or a hint of wanting to conform to reach a wide audience of nodding dogs who wouldn’t know a good tune from a puddle of piss. The opening track is ‘Welcome To The Great Indoors’ which is nice. It begins with some Angus like scales working out up the fretboard before the rhythm section joins in building up to the crunch point then bosch! We’re off as the guitars pin you to the back of your seat and we’re careering downhill at a frantic rate of knots.  Fuck this is how to kick off your album. Ivar Nikolaisen leads the charge with his uncompromising vocals and what a thrilling four minutes that was.

 

Forget Turbonegro and Kvelertak this is how to rock out 2020 style.  this is where the bar gets set, these are the leaders and others will just have to follow, simples. ‘Fake Noose’ is intense and has a really haunting melody through the vocals it’s like audio crack it’s that addictive but then when you tackle the subject of elected dying and going to Switzerland to do it its gotta be a little intense right?.  The quality charge continues as ‘Staying With The Trouble’ is up next with its triumphant guitars and pop-savvy melody on those backing vocals its a lighter side of The Zuglys for sure. Have they finally decided to sell a little of their soul for success and chart acceptance?

 

After the slight interlude of ‘Follow Your Dreams’ were right back at it hammering away on ‘Kings Of Inconvenience’. ‘The Man Behind The (Oxygene) Mask’ is the Zuglys on top of their game it’s bold, it’s grand, it’s epic. It gallops from the off (no great shock there to be fair) but the melodies happening are fantastic and the more you play these songs the more things jump out you didn’t notice on the last play and this song is one of the best examples of that. Remember what you thought when you first heard Turbo knock out ‘Apocolpse Dudes’ well, this is like that.

 

‘Fuck Life…But How To Live It’ is hardcore heaven. Uncompromising and just full of boundless energy like the Beastie Boys tackling early Black Flag. The second single off the album ‘Corporate Rock’ is anything but.  Hounding out fake bands with a huge riff that belted out like a 30lb hammer landing on your temple. I’m standing firm behind these boys they know the score!

 

‘The Kids Are Alt-Right’ is tackling the hot potato of today’s global politics but I hope they’re wrong on this one I hope that Hope Not Hate prevails and the Kids are alright and our children don’t head down a wormhole of Trump and tory hate for anyone and everything except money and not 90% are nihilists.  C’mon Oslo’s finest offer us some hope?  whilst there is a darkness I have to believe the kids are generally all right.

 

Blimey, for some light relief from the last one ‘Fuck The Police’ raises the alarm, Doh! bollocks lets go with them. Use the intro to inhale then prepare to enter the pit as the intensity escalates. “Fuck, Fuck Fuck the Police” if you can’t beat them join them. That my friends is pretty much where we get off this trip except for ‘Requiem’ and its one last hurrah!  Rounding off an absolute belter to kick-off 2020.  The Good The Bad And The Zugly are everything you want them to be they make you think, Smile, Laugh, break things, give yourself over to the noise they make, be grateful you have them in your life and you also have impeccable taste in hardcore punk rock and roll Oslo style.

 

As they said it themselves on this record “Don’t tell me that the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon” Go The Zuglys I’m rootin’ for you to break on through.  Let’s make this go overground! Just go Buy it! it’s because you’re worth it!

Buy Algorithm & Blues Here

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Author: Dom Daley

Christmas – Live & Lewd (Self Release)

Christmas – Live & Lewd (Self Release)

Not many bands are able to say that they played nearly 500 shows in nine years all over Europe but Christmas can. So, It all makes sense that right here right now ‘Live & Lewd’ just about sums up exactly where these hardcore punk rock and rollers are at.

Leaving nothing to chance and certainly leaving nothing on the stage (or the pit) Christmas are a full-force experience and this recording recorded last year proves that. It’s a 100% bullshit free zone with loud guitars and lots of full-throttle noise.

Classics like “Moonshine Love”, “Appetite For Self-destruction” or “Cracksong” as well as the new song “Go Hard Or Go Home” kick the shit out of anyone’s speakers. These German road dogs love touring that much is obvious and whilst the studio albums are treats its live where they rule and this is as good a representation as any.  Its real hardcore in your face no overdubs no bullshit and feedback howling fast as fuck punk rock.

 

At times these guys will give the likes of Poison Idea a run for their money and some.  the immense ‘Suicide Girls’ is right out of that old school Hardcore pocket and is brutal as fuck as is the pounding ‘Army Of Losers’.

Sixteen songs in half an hour I’d expect nothing less and to maintain the power, pace and intensity is testament to just how good a band Christmas is.  After songs like ‘I Hate’ played without any overdubs and just pounding the listener from the off I feel the need to go find someone just to hug them and for them to tell me everything will be alright. ‘You Bore Me’ is awesome a bit like pretty much all of this.  More punk than punk more hardcore than hardcore live and Lewd is exactly that exactly what it says on the tin.  Champion stuff indeed I suggest you get on this if you love noisy fuckers kicking seven shades out of their instruments with all the finesse and style of a prime time prizefighter Christmas deliver a live album just like you’d hope they would.  ‘Go Hard Or Go Home’ couldn’t have put it better myself – Ave it!

LIVE & LEWD will be released September 6th, on Digipack CD in a limited edition of 100 copies.

preorder Here

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Author: Dom Daley

Bad Religion – Age Of Unreason (Epitaph)

Bad Religion – Age Of Unreason (Epitaph)

In a career that’s lasted nearly forty years and a whopping seventeen albums, this isn’t a band who’ve sat back and looked away from flexing their socio-political views whenever possible, and for a band with tracks like American Jesus and 21st Century (Digital Boy) that rank among their biggest, there’s been a clear response to it. And as the world continues to burn more and more each day, what better time for Bad Religion to resurface and take society’s ills to task once more?

 

Essentially its Bad Religion doing Bad Religion; For a band as right on as Bad Religion these are times that just keep giving and in return, Bad Religion keeps giving back.

As Brett Gurewitz said, “The band has always stood for enlightenment values. Today, these values of truth, freedom, equality, tolerance, and science, are in real danger. This record is our response.”

I guess it was time to don the shit kickers and kick some shit then.  From the opening frantic burst of ‘Chaos From Within’ it’s slick it’s fast it driven and the guitar solo is a ball of fire lasting the blink of an eye there’s no time for bloated introductions, it’s on with the punk rock show. ‘My Sanity’ is fast but has a heartfelt melody with lush harmonies mixing sweet tunes with fast sharp punk exactly what Bad Religion is best at.  The pace is constant for the first four songs and its not until ‘Lose Your Head’ does the pace relent.  Another excellent song By the time you get to the album highpoint that is the acoustic driven ‘Candidate’ the band demonstrates right there how vital they are and how their sound is timeless and ageless.  Graffin and Gurewitz have plenty of anger and are articulate enough to relay it through their music in a constructive and authoritative way. They go from the melodic ‘Candidate’ to the pounding ‘Faces Of Grief’ that thrashes and gasps for oxygen before ending sharply.

The ebb and flow through fourteen tracks is the sound of old pros knowing exactly how to deliver what they do to perfection its not easy staying ahead of the curve and remaining relevant in todays music scene but with such a plentiful pool of inspiration how can you not love the groove on songs like ‘Big Black Dog’ and if I’m honest the second half of this record is even stronger and the band also take a chance on breaking the pace and frantic style and their canon of songs is expanded further.

Bad Religion are one of those bands I never realise how many of their records I have until a new one comes out and I always like what I hear and am slightly taken aback at their body of work.   Yet their standards are always really high even if you probably know what you’re going to get before the needle drop. That’s not a criticism by the way if the music is consistently strong as their is which is exactly why they’ve released so many and have maintained their popularity after all these years.  Long may it continue because the world needs BAd Religion right here right now.

Buy Age Of Unreason Here

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Author: Dom Daley

Johnny Seven – Johnny Seven (Nil By Mouth Records)

Johnny Seven – Johnny Seven (Nil By Mouth Records)

I like it when a band takes its time to get the album they want but we all giggled when Axl took however long to knock out a guns n Roses album well Johnny Seven don’t like to rush a record release either but these punk rockers took forty years! Yup, I did say Forty Four Zero.  Don’t giggle at the back it’s true. Anyway its here now the format might be different to what was originally envisaged but times change and so do lineups.

 

you might well ask yourself what this Teeside foursome are all about well, let me tell you they clearly have a collective ear for a decent tune and I’m pretty sure judging by the songs they wrote we’d share a lot of similarities in our record collections.  One thing they got spot on is when they declared you can’t escape Rock and Roll and that spot on as is this tune.  It’s sloppy – it’s rough and ready – its got a great guitar sound and I love a good gang sing-a-long chorus and ‘Can’t Escape’ has certainly got that. ‘LSD’ is a rolling riff borrowed (or Stolen) and the lyrics show the band has a sense of humour and a rollicking interlude between the more serious elements of Rock and Roll. Don’t do drugs kids they’re bad for you.

‘In Detroit’ they give the Wah Wah a good work out and rattle through Motor City Nice n sleazy does it boys nice n sleazy. They turn the clock back for a sid style romp through ‘Burning Love’ I wouldn’t say its rubbish because its not but if you want to pop the kettle on nows your chance.  I’m not sure this record needed a cover smack bang in the middle to be honest because they were going so well with their own material. ‘Pumping The Pop’ is more like it.  snot ‘n’ sweat flying everywhere as the band get trashy not a million miles from The DeRellas here or the Babysitters when they weren’t singing about trembly noses. and the guitar and handclaps remind me of Hanoi when they were doing the duck and the guitar lick isn’t a million miles away from ‘Shakes’ so I was always going to like this one.

There’s a reckless edge to ‘Car Crash Girls’ and I like it it sounds spontaneous and at any point could fall or stumble over and Rock and Roll needs that sometimes it keeps proceedings exciting which is where we head as the album moves towards its conclusion.  ‘Skinheads’ is a wonderful stomping slice of glam pop in the same snotty vein as The Boys, great melody and a great look back. Finally, we reach the end of what has been a really good record and one I have enjoyed and ‘Hang Loose’ takes this bad boy home with another sleazy rocker that kinda pulls all the previous influences together for one last hurrah as the band goes over the top and into battle once more.

I spose like busses the follow up will be right behind this one dyou think someone should tell the band that Blakey won’t be collecting the fares on it though? Forty years for fucks sake but like a good wine it’s finally reached maturity and its ready to be enjoyed and I certainly did that.

Buy The Album Here

Author: Dom Daley