FOREIGN LEGION - "LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL" ("AGGROBEAT RECORDS" & "REBEL SOUND MUSIC"; LP & CD)

FOREIGN LEGION - "LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL"
("AGGROBEAT RECORDS" & "REBEL SOUND MUSIC"; LP & CD)
(Vinyl collector facts: 500 copies pressed at all, 250 copies on green vinyl w/ tred splatter effect for Europe, and 250 copies on mint green vinyl for the U.S.A.)
(Record facts: 12 songs in 29 minutes.)
(Cooperation release between the two great young and strong going labels "AGGROBEAT RECORDS" from Europe and "REBEL SOUND" from the States.)
(Note: Big "THX!!!" to the "AGGROBEAT REC." guys for sending this album my way via mail.)

Here's the current album of FOREIGN LEGION, the long running old school Oi! horses from out of the dephts of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales/Great Britain, a band that's already existing since 30years or so, founded back then in 1984. But also a band that somehow always sort of went under my radar, only noticed them here and there via a comp disc or something like this, hm, and so this very one here is my first FOREIGN LEGION album so far. What they give us is pretty much what I was expecting: Grumpy and angry, thirsty and fist-swinging, stoic stomping and sing a long orientated typical Brit Oi! with a strong focus on a strong Punkrock backbone and a strong rockin' drive of the songs. The sound or better the style and the music is very authentic and old school, british punkrocking Oi! somewhere between the ANGELIC UPSTARTS, the COCKNEY REJECTS, some MENACE, and some (early) THE CLASH, all made round by a stoic hammering approach that sets them near to the warhorses in and of THE WARRIORS. Especially the lead vocals with that typical pissed off angry and snotty approach and attitude totally rule, even more because in its intonation the lead singing voice owns a very own approach (maybe because of their regional roots in Wales, who knows... at least not me), and also it's a very melodic and real sung lead singing voice with a strong hymnal spirit, even it is also a pretty strong and hard voice. Really strong and a trademark of FOREIGN LEGION. Then there's the hammering guitar playing full of sawing and shredding riffs on the one side but also full of catchy and melodic leads and also solos on the other side, and all done in this typical stoic forward marching british way. Really good, also a true trademark of FOREIGN LEGION, without a single doubt. The roaring bass work fits perfect to it, and the tight and precise slapping and smashing drumming as well, even I would wish that especially the drumming would be (far) more rich on variations because it sounds very equal over all the time and that makes it a little bit lame and stale here and there. The songwriting is all in all good, I mean FOREIGN LEGION aren't re-inventing the wheel and they play also a very minimalistic sort of Oi! Punk music, a very traditional and old school and also pretty "pure" or "true" style of Oi! Punk music, but they do it good and keep it fresh and they do it very authentic (but anything else would make me wonder quite a bit, after they do their thing now for already thirty years), and that matters most or at least more than reinventing anything or sort of this. Nothing new and nothing fancy, but fans of old school britsih Oi!, Streetpunk, and Punkrock will surely like if not love the new FOREIGN LEGION album. Personally I definitely don't love it, but I also definitely like it, yes, for sure, because it is really a damn good album. Good lyrics that know about life and struggle and strife as well as Punkrock music and boozing and dancing and partying on top of it, as well as a perfect matching dirty and earthy production sound and a very cool Working Class hailing artwork. Try it out, any Brit Oi! & Punkrock fans definitely won't fucking regret it. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi! /// Andy

(8 of 10 points)

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