I first clapped my ears on Bob Vylan way back when a certain “Lynch your leaders” became my go to track as we worked our way through the first Covid 19 lock-down, then we got hit with “We live here” and the rest is history, I’ve watched Bob Vylan gain traction and get to the point of exploding into the general conscience, and as I type it rumours abound that this baby The Price of Life has hit the charts!!!!

Now let’s just say this in no reflects a move towards a more socially acceptable standpoint, no movement towards commerciality, and keeping it independent launched on their own Ghost Theatre Records what more could you want?

This is Brutal stuff a nihilistic expose of Tory led policies, outing the far right and the decision makers who stand in the background profiteering from the latest under the counter deal. As the LP opens you get drawn in with the “Walter Speaks” sample and then “Wicked and Bad” tears your face off social-commentary up front and centre. There’s no let up as we move into” Big Man” and “Take that” and that link between grime and punk seems more relevant than anything out there at the moment, both movements born in the underground and each movement within their individual generations ripping into that Tory led new world order, and what we have to do to survive and earn enough to live. By the time we hit “Pretty songs” your hooked and then everything moves up another gear, this is seriously good, from the punk side of things I keep being drawn back to Crass comparisons, while from the grime side I can’t help linking it to Lowkey, (check out terrorist) and some of the early Akala stuff, socially aware but not with the edge presented by this beauty. “Turn off the Radio” is fckin’ immense, this is a heavier LP than the first, at times it draws on grunge, while at other times we’re into straight out hardcore punk, while at others we link in brutal industrial, right up my street, that heavier lilt really hits you with “GDP”.

Bait the Bear” is almost Slayer’esque how heavy is that opening riff!!! (it’s a rhetorical question, it’s heavy as fck). There really is no let up “Phone Tap(Alexa)” with a thrash drive at it’s core, just builds and builds and then we’re thrown against the wall by “Drug War” probably my favourite track on the lp, punk to the core, but the vocal lead just leaves you speechless, all too quickly we’re into last up “WHATCHAGONNADO”,  again there is no let up and the lp as a whole just builds and builds finishing on a high, intense, in your face, shaking you to wake up to what’s really happening, Social commentary with an attitude born on the streets, Get this LP bought, my album of the year so far, lets get Bob Vylan to number 1 !!!!!!

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Author: Nev Brooks