HAMMER AND THE NAILS - "HAMMER AND THE NAILS" (2014)

HAMMER AND THE NAILS - "HAMMER AND THE NAILS"
(Running time: 37:34 minutes; 13 songs)
("Rebellion Records"; 2014; CD):

Hey my dear readers, yes, again too many days past by without seeing a new post/article up here, yeah' I know, but that's life and so now finally straight again into the action and here we go: Tonight it will be all about an already a bit older record but that I just picked up at the end of this June of 2018 @ the fantastic "THIS IS SKA 2018" festival... and this was definitely by far long, long overdue, definitely, and I am talking about the self-titled HAMMER AND THE NAILS album that was released four years ago back in 2014 via the almighty "REBELLION RECORDS" and if I know made my homework sort of correct than this is sort of a compilation album of all their demo and singles material from 2009 and 2010 with some live bonus stuff added to it as well. And sort of since 2009 I know HAMMER AND THE NAILS now already, from back then when MySpace still was a thing, yes, and I hailed and cheered up to them massively right from my frist listen to them but then over the last now already really nine yeas I totally lost them out of sight… shame on me, shame on me, and not just a bit. And when I then saw "HAMMER AND THE NAILS" @ the "CONTRA RECORDS" merch-desks @ the above already mentioned "THIS IS SKA 2018" the memory was right'n'promptly back and I instantly took it finally with me. And then it was also already instantly and promptly clear to me that I definitely will do a review on it up here, really sort of finally do a review on it up here, despise that it is now already four years old and also despise that the songs featured on this very one here are now already in parts really nearly ten years old, yes, but who cares, surely not me, myself, and I, and so, again, now here we go… finally: HAMMER AND THE NAILS play dustdry and bonecrackin'n'headsmashin' heavy American Oi! the Brickwall Style that's driven forward by harsh sawing and forceful onwards marching and mercylessly pushing bonedry and as heavy hitting as a well aimed crowbar swing pure power guitars that deliver an overwhelming amount of heavily and massively crushing as well as really incredible rousing and exciting, really grapping and surprising fresh riffs and rhythms as well as great and formidable accentuated and really loud singing leads and solos and that above all truly brightly shine with a strong own and very unique tone. Harsh delivered and throaty and hard but still all the time really sung and not shouted lead vocals with a nice and pretty impressive way of a unique accentuated delivery with a special vibe to it all. A firy and harsh attacking bass with massive anmounts of full force power backs it all very beefy and bulky up and then the war-drums like thundering drum work finally crushes every and any resistance completly down into the ground and this without any mercy at all. All is done and delivered highly skilled and very, very fresh and totally alive/lively and this is beside the high skills of this fine Boston Gentlemen in the biggest parts thanks and due to the phenomenal songwriting and some very fresh and unsual and so pretty surprising rhythm arrangements and some in general very unsual and exciting compositorial work that often blends sort of Vintage Hard Rock spirited and nicely 'tricky' rhythms, grooves, and a very grapping pace work and a huge multi-layered and multi-facetted diverse approach to it all in general into their Brickwall styled through and through neckbreaking and facecrushing American Oi! and this makes it all even and only more great(er) and exciting and rousing and grapping. And it makes it all to something pretty to very special that in this way you haven't heard so far before or from another than HAMMER AND THE NAILS. And of course they also deliver huge fist in the air and sing a long to refrains that are really larger than life material, yes, but this also is to say about and/or counts exactly the same way for the brilliant arranged verses and this all adds a huge and also very cliché-free anthemic and hymnal character to the whole songs. A fantastic artwork, very strong and outspoken nicely diverse and also very thoughtful as well as thoughtprovoking lyrics, and a raw and dirty and yet still very heavy and powerful crushing production sound round it all finally and very perfectly up and after truly all songs are purest platinum I will now spare me any words about any favorite songs because, like already said, all songs are the purest platinum. To anyone who like me so far completly for what reasons ever missed out on HAMMER AND THE NAILS should definitely and desperately finally change this as soon as possible and why not with this perfect gem even it is now already four years old with dating back from 2014... and I really will 'make up my mind' on new and/or other stuff of/by HAMMER AND THE NAILS, yeah', finally and definitely. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(10 of 10 points)

https://hammerandthenails.bandcamp.com/releases (-check out the Bandcamp site of the band)

HAMMER AND THE NAILS - "SLEEPING GIANT" (2014, "HAMMER AND THE NAILS")

The ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH: Legendary patriotic American Oi! from the Motorcity of Detroit - THE SOUL OF THE STORM.

Hey guys and oh boy, yes, trust your eyes, hell yeahr, because oh fuck yes yeah', it's back, yes, the "AMERICAN Oi! HISTORY SERIES" finally and really makes its glorious (and by far too long overdue) return up here and this time it had been really freakin' fuckin' ages since the last article (paying tribute to the almighty STARS & STRIPES from Boston, MA/U.S.A.) came up here sort of damn six years ago in the late summer of 2012. I just read over the mentioned last article recently and oh boy was I wrong back then, because not only took it not only a year before this very one here finally is following it up but more or less six straight years, goddamn it, it almost feels a bit like a different life back then… okay, keeping in mind that I back then just got still a bit recently 31 years old and was just starting to go through some damn tough years to come that's maybe not that wrong after all. But anyhow six years, yes, that's still sort of a statement. (Also incredible that I still or sort of again-still run this very blog here.) How this all came to happen and so on I will here and now spare you and me, anyhow anyway, but by looking at what band this very article here and now will (finally) be paying tribute to this all is even more starting to really feel a bit 'surreal'. Like the headline/name of this article tells you (or at least should have told you already) this time here and now it will all be about no one else and/or no one less than the, yes, (al)mighty ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, the patriotic Motorcity Madmen from the city of Detroit. This was planned already back then in 2010 and 2011 as one of the earlier posts of or in this nowadays (more or less) well aged posting series up here but was then held back by me because it was sort of meant to be published in a german printzine back then at the time but this should then ultimately never came to happen and then it sort of fell overboard… hm... and then right now, yes, it is really so much about time and already again by far too much bla-bla-bla and so now here we are and so enough of my anyhow already by far too long introducing smalltalking rambling(s), yes, and so now finally and ultimately here we go again…!!!

Starting this all now off with the confused questions concerning the "What?" and "Why?" of/about the anyhow/anyway also still today pretty weird and for sure damn unusual (but also damn cool) bandname that there is/was the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH. The bandname came to happen like the underground-fame of the band, too, it developed over time and sort of just 'accidentitally' and so someday the band rampaged under the banner of (the) ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH just like the band someday was enthusiastically hailed in/by the underground by Oi! hardknocks and Streetpunk die-hards. They started out in the 1980's as a local Punkrock band jamming and roaring in their hometown and local suburbs with their original line-up consisting out of Danny Mason as their lead singer, the 'Big Dog' at the guitar, Pat 'Scruff' Shaw playing the bass, and Jeff Gordon beating the drums and more and more their weekly to daily practises with the band turning into rampaging parties and little/small concerts with a big bunch of friends and likeminded people/persons attending their practises in ever growing numbers and celebrating a damn good time together with the band. More or less (and again) 'accidentially' the signature sound'n'style of the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH should develop heavily during that certain time period, and it was exactly that specific and back then in their area and maybe also espcially in the U.S.A. in general very unusual or untypical sound'n'style that should cause their ongrowing underground-fame. While back then pretty much anybody and everybody was looking to come up with (more or less) melodic and fast paced Skate Punk/Hardcore/Crossover in the tradition of or like bands like BLACK FLAG and D.R.I. and such stuff the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH took the or a pretty opposite direction. First simply due to the fact that primarly their drummer simply couldn't keep up with the higher fast paced tempo they slowed down and this all 'just' to develop over time their very own sound'n'style of stoic hammering, harsh and heavy, hard stomping mid paced (Street-) Punk that further down the road should finally lead them to develop their damn own and unique interpretation of (American) Oi! musick for which they gained and gathered sort of their very own cult-following over time and their ongrowing underground-fame. To say it with the words of 'Big Dog' of the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH himself: "It was kind of like the invention of pizza. We stumbled upon it by accident and everybody seemed to dig it." The band and their ever-growing circle of friends used to even set up their own club named the "THE WEST SIDE BOOT BOYS". Their first famous signature sing-a-long chants (and anthems) like for example "Drink Beer!" and "West Side!" were brought up by Danny Mason but things really took off'n'up when Jimmy Doom joined the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH. The band went through some to a lot of ('troubled') line-up-changes that all came with some sort of controversy but should maybe finally make the band better or so to say. The clubhouse of (the) "THE WEST SIDE BOOT BOYS" was a 'landmark' in Detroit and for the local Oi!/Punk/Hardcore scene and not only more or less every day some sort of action and/or party used to take place and not only did the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH used to spend a lot of their time exactly there but it was also the place where after the bars closed their doors you could find the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH regulary up on stage playing live every friday and saturday night from 3am on. Chaos and destruction, ramapge and party where all around. And still the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH managed to make it to the big(ger) venues and shared stages with acts like THE EXPLOITED, G.B.H., the CIRCLE JERKS, and also SOCIAL DISTORTION who were all bringing (far) over 500 kids to the shows everytime (we're still to be found in the late 1980's to the early 1990's, keep that in mind) and Punk (and Hardcore and Oi!) was (/were) getting bigger and bigger and the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH were one of the many bands in the middle of it all fueling enthusiastically only even more fuel'n'fire to the flames. Things were looking nice, right, and then…

...and then "Operation Desert Storm" happened and 'it all' became 'ugly'. A lot of the scene, the people in it and the bands of it, took an anti-war standpoint and burned their flags, joined communist groups, started protesting the war (sort of without really knowing for what they were or would be protesting anyhow with protesting against the war but that's another story) and this more or less all 'simply' also to show a middle-finger to the establishment and the(ir) 'warmongering politicians'. The ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH and their "THE WEST SIDE BOOT BOYS" crew and their fans more or less in general took the exact opposite standpoint, showed that middle-finger(s) right back, waved the american flag with honour and pride, spoke out pro the troops and voiced their opinions through their musick and their lyrics loudly and proudly. Especially Jimmy Doom, who along the way replaced Danny Mason as the lead singer of the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, wrote fantastic and very outspoken lyrics to voice the patriotic opinion of the band. In that in a 'political-sense' very overheated situation and time the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH further on sharpened their 'musical profile' with 'ongoingly' nothing but getting stronger and better all the time. And also again new band members joined the band and no matter if they stayed long or short in the ranks of the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH they left their marks and helped to develop the sound'n'style of the band further on. One or maybe even the best and most prominent example for that was/is Jiney Jim (who also played in the damn fantastic ROGUES, another great American Oi! legend from Detroit) who joined the band for a short while and took over the drums delivering that precise and harsh stomping Oi! Oi! Oi! beat that should help the band immensely and lead the band to sharpen their unique American Oi! musick even far more, despise the only short while he was with/in the band. And so the band wrote some of their biggest hymns and hits with Jiney Jim at the drums, like for example "GANGLAND" and "WORKING CLASS KIDS". It also helped surely quite a bit that the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH back then were completly into that fantastic classic English Oi! we all still love today and that all the stuff they wrote songs about were authentic, honest, and heartfelt experiences and opinions that they voiced within and throughout their ever stronger gowing musick. Soon after Jiney Jim left the band again sort of ''as soon as he joined'' the band found their new drummer in and with Cliff "born to kill" Hill and after this they step-by-step should finally reach their full prime, even a lot of ''troubled'n'troubling'' line-up-changes really took place on-and-on-again and the band for sure wasn't the band anymore that once started in the basements of Detroit (so to say) with finally "Big Dog" being the final original or founding member at the end of this development. The shows were anyhow all the time and even more'n'more pure enthusiastic mayhem and 'onslaughting' chaos unleashed filled to the absolute max with violent circle pits, ever-retreating bouncers at the shows, audiences regulary taking over the stage, flying stage divers and also flying beer-bottles all the time everywhere, rivers of beer flooding through the halls and venues, open fights, even bloody brawls at/on stage, and the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH over the years became headliners in Detroit having nation-wide far more famous acts opening for them and with having close ties to formidable legendary acts like MURPHY'S LAW. But over the years and maybe to all the madness-energy and the incredible intensity and maybe or surely also due to ever-on-going line-up-troubles the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH should finally 'die-out', (with) maybe having sort of burnt too bright and too intense for a too long while and so they faded away and the bandmembers went seperate ways and founded new bands. The most prominent and best known bands of that "followers" are for sure "Big Dog's" very own 'new' bands COLD AS LIFE and SWORN ENEMY.

Over their time of existence the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH never released that much of records/albums and their discography is rather short/small… very short/small. They only released (for all what I know and if I now not miss out on something) two tapes. In 1989 their tape (I think it was later on also released on vinyl as a 7'') "ALWAYS OUT OF CONTROL BUT NEVER OUT OF BEER" was released and soon becoming an underground-hit, and then in 1991 their "SOUL OF THE STORM" tape was released again causing much havok in the scene. It wasn't until 2005 when the glorious "DISCONNECTED RECORDS" finally released the fantastic "ALWAYS OUT OF CONTROL BUT NEVER OUT OF BEER - THE COMPLETE COLLECTION" CD that the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH released (or) sort of finally a proper full-length-album for their fans. And, yes, if you really still don't have that CD you should try anything to still find somewhere a copy of it for you. The ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH played a mid-paced orientated and very heavy and energetic, strong rocking and sort of a despise the anthemic and hymnal character also still pretty dark style of American Oi! filled with dirty, noisy, heavy, and strong rocking guitar work, harsh and yet still melodic delivered and highly charismatic lead vocals (also at the Right moments nicely backed up), an evil and pissed-off roaring bass at work, and forceful and onward pushing pure power drumming, delivering great done verses as well as highly addictive refrains full of huge sing-a-longs and that's still today as fresh as it (so I think) was back then for example in 1989 or 1991. It was really so damn much about time that I finally pay my heartfelt tribute and show them my honest honour and give them my enthusiastic praise up here and so this article/post really was by far too much overdue and I'm glad (and maybe even a bit sort of proud) that it really finally saw the damn light of the day right here and right now (even at minimum six years too late… how-ever, better late then never, I guess). The ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, one of the greatest unforgotten legends in the glorious history of American Oi! and, again, by any means make sure to try your best to do everything to still find a copy of their above mentioned 2005 CD (re)release and then make sure to grab it and never let it loose again. All hail the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

So, yes, that's it or that was finally the newest and current post/article in/of the "AMERICAN Oi! HISTORY SERIES" up here. (Yes, sometimes the dead really come back.) I hope you enjoyed it, I had much fun writing it, and I especially hope that you got curious because of it for the ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH, yes, that would definitely be damn fucking great. Currently I would say that one sooner or later day this very series of articles/posts up here finally really will continue up here again. Don't ask me when but, so much I can say, it won't take again six years (not at least because if you ask me right now I wouldn't say that six years more from now on down the road I will still be doing this blog anyhow anyway, no, I really don't think so), and so just stay tuned for more of this to come in the future one sooner or later day. Until then, yes, maybe check out some of the other stuff up here you may enjoy it (as well) and never forget to always have a laugh and always have a say. Oi! Oi! Oi!

ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH - "A.L.D."

ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH - "DRINK BEER"

ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH - "MOTOR CITY TRICK OR TREAT"

ALMIGHTY LUMBERJACKS OF DEATH - "DRINK BEER" (live, reunited in 2015)

TEMPLARS - "DEUS VULT" (2017)

TEMPLARS - "DEUS VULT"
(Running time: 32:43 minutes; 12 songs)
("Templecomb Records" & "Randale Records"; 2017; CD):

Really?!? Oh good lord, damn it... it's been really 12 years... when "DEUS VULT" was released in 2017 via "TEMPLECOMB RECORDS" and (over here in Germany, I guess) "RANDALE RECORDS" it's been really 12 years since its predecessor the almighty "OUTREMER" was released way back in 2005 and since then no new full-length-album(s) of this immortally larger than life American Oi! titans known as the TEMPLARS saw the light of day until in 2017 finally "DEUS VULT" made its impact and this with full force and overwhelming strong conquering might and it is really sort of like the last 12 years where just sort of the 'blink of an eye' and here or then in 2017 and now carrying-on here and now in 2018 the TEMPLARS are back and at least as strong and great as ever and so here they stand, heads shaved clean and fists held high, this is Oi!, this is real Oi! and this is nothing else than the essence of all what makes and always made it which means Oi! to the very damn best ever outta there, yes, and so here they are finally again: the TEMPLARS. If you read this blog now maybe for a little bit longer or at best right from the get-go in 2010 (or if you know me personally) then you should know what the TEMPLARS mean to me and that they are and were and surely will remain to be one of my ever and all time favorite bands outta there and I really love their totally unique (and also totally amazing) style of their very own and I think a week ago or so when I reviewed the almighty "THEY CALL IT JUSTICE" 7'' of the (as well) almighty 45 ADAPTERS I also mentioned the TEMPLARS back then in that certain record-review when I stated that both bands may be a bit comparable in the sense that they probably share in parts the same influences and also because they both have totally cultivated an amazing style of (American) Oi! absolutely of their very, very own, yes, and maybe this is then now also already quite a good sort of proper 'starting-point' for this very record-review here and now: The TEMPLARS deliver a hard and sharp edged and cutting, dirty rocking and with great and especially very, very strong and sort of absolutely everything conquering earthy/natural and organic grooves onwards and forwards rolling American Oi! of one of a kind, hell yeahr, perfectly melting together guitar driven and highly energetic and dynamic as well as anthemic U.S. Oi! with hard stomping stoic Brit Oi! and cultivating it all massively and highly with very alive/lively dirty 'old schoolish' Rock & Roll with some slightly Blues or maybe better 'bluesy' tonings/infusions induced in and to it all, rounding it all up with some very good'n'round Mod Rock portions and also with a big load of nasty and snotty, street-raised and working-class-born'n'bred Punkrock in it all and that still manages to sometimes also bring a nice and especially first class rocking Glam Punk cutting edge as sort of the final climax of its outstanding greatness to it all, oh bloody hell yeahr, all forged perfectly together via superb exciting and grapping, interesting and also damn intense songwriting that will conquer you immediately and instantly right from the get-go on. The songs are very intense and hold incredible amounts of really heavily rousing and dynamic energy in store that will direct and right from the kick-off take you by storm and won't let loose of you again, full of passion and filled with highly play- and also especially soulful elements, moments, and parts in it and they offer a shining and absolutely clichee-free 'catchyness' that will make you instantly sing-a-long to with your fists held up high and the hymnal/anthemic potential is so huge and at the same time so damn fresh and exciting that this very album here is completly filled to the peak with nothing but true and real and through'n'through total über-hits that simply never ge/become stale or seem to be 'already heard a thousand times somewhere before' (if you get what I mean), yes, that's just so incredible and absolute(ly) fantastic and nothing else, point and fact. And also do the songs play with so many different moods and there are all the time little-big/huge surprises and twists'n'turns all along the ride worked into it so that the songs also really shine with a brilliant multi-layered diversity that is a total fresh and unique characteristica and trademark of the TEMPLARS and something totally of their very own. Also they deliver first class and top notch rhythm structures, song arrangements, and outstanding compositorial architectures of the songs that totally benefit the rousing gladiatorial drive of all the hymns here on this masterpiece titled "DEUS VULT". The smashing and dustdry, earthy and dirty and yet very soulful and warm guitars mark the songs probably-to-surely the very most and 'they' shine in every sector which/what means that they deliver a fantastic rhythm work as well as incredible bright shining leads and really 'impressively' singing solos; the highly charismatic, rough but still sort of melodic and really sung lead vocals that are 'greatly' backed up by loud'n'proud backing chants are for all the right reasons the next biggest and strongest marking element and part of the songs and the music; and then we do get a forceful and crunchy bass work as well as absolutely high skilled first class forceful and nicely sort of multi-layered, very characteristic drumming that is perfectly rounding it all up. Hell yeah'!!! Cool samples taken from the old school Horror Movies "NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD" and/or "RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD" give it all also then a nice little twist and only add up to the larger than life quality and character of the TEMPLARS' "DEUS VULT" masterpiece. If I had to pick my personal most favorite tracks... damn it, the whole album completly and totally rules... hm... but maybe I would pick "TAKE A STAND", "HOUR OF SORROW", "A STORM IS BREWING", "LOSING THE GAME", "PROPAGANDA", "KICKING DOWN YOUR DOOR", "MISSPENT YOUTH", yes, and definitely to name I have the total über-anthem "LIVING ON THE OUTSIDE", yes, so maybe start your ride with this fantastic and phenomenal masterpieces. Something that I really love about the TEMPLARS, just btw, is that the arrangements of the verses are at least as strong as the ones of the refrains and when bands do this I simply really, really love this/it, period. Great and pretty diverse and as usual for all the right reasons very outspoken lyrics (sadly not printed, but you get and understand them easily), a gorgeous artwork and that's also a typical TEMPLARS artwork, and a very rough and dirty but also all the time very warm and organic, an earthy as well as also pretty hard production sound then finally round it all perfectly up. And so now, yes, I have said all that I've had to say right here, right now and you know now all what I so far wanted to tell you, yes, this was/is one of the very best albums of'n'in'n'for 2017 and also one of the very best albums in and definitely also for years to come - and just let us hope that I won't take again 12 damn years before the TEMPLARS release the successor full-length-album of/to "DEUS VULT"... and now, yes, my final words here and now are very, very easy to find, yes, because I will now leave you with stating clear, calm, honest, and precise that the TEMPLARS' "DEUS VULT" is a total(ly) larger-than-life masterpiece and one of the very, very, very best 2017 releases and also and definitely one that you definitely and desperately need to call your very own, period. And now good night... or so... Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(10 of 10 points)

https://de-de.facebook.com/The-Templars-NYC-Oi-195090269268/ (-the link to the facebook site of the band)

TEMPLARS - "LIVING ON THE OUTSIDE" (2017, "DEUS VULT")

THE OLD FIRM CASUALS - "WARTIME ROCK & ROLL" (2017)

THE OLD FIRM CASUALS - "WARTIME ROCK & ROLL"
(Running time: 17:03 minutes; 5 songs)
("Rebellion Records"; 2017; CD):

Oh yes, they are (hm... or were... anyhow what's correct I think you get the point) back: THE OLD FIRM CASUALS delivered us in 2017 with their "WARTIME ROCK & ROLL" mini-CD one hell of an outstanding offering and these smart and fine gentlemen 'once formed around' RANCID's very own Lars Frederiksen himself delivered here via the almighty "REBELLION RECORDS" one absolutely amazing and fantastic release of one of the very best American Oi! brews these days. It's really, hm, yes, it's really nothing but amazing how great they are today, yes, I mean despite all the bullshit 'fake and sell-out or so' cheap talk back then when they started done by some tough and proud internet keyboard warriors and self-proclaimed ''Skinhead'n'Oi! DieHards" THE OLD FIRM CASUALS were right from the get-go one damn massively ruling band and over all the years they only got better and better and so now they play their "WARTIME ROCK & ROLL" on such a breath-taking level of skills and quality and identity and they just take anything and anyone/everything and everyone by storm in a massively overwhelming way and manner and they gave us one of the very, very best releases of 2017 and it just does nothing else than totally and absolutely ruling supreme and this I do mean in the most supreme way. This is sharp edged and hard hitting, dustdry and heavy and yet still damn very ctachy and with a great melody work shining American Oi! of the most supreme kind and with a very strong and huge own identity and of a highly unique charisma. This is dirty and snotty, strong rocking and also even stronger rolling American Oi! very much of ist very, very own and that's maybe best somewhere to be located very loosely and on a position totally of its own between the immortally larger than life THE ANTI-HEROES and the all-time almighty outstanding PRESSURE POINT and this all heavily mixed through with huge loads of dirty and hard Rock & Roll somewhere between the nasty and 'bluesy' AC/DC (especially their earlier years) and the 'punky' street-raised angry and in-your-face Sleaze Rock of (the early) GUNS'N'ROSES and all is delivered by very, very skilled musicians that wrap it all up with a fantastic and exciting songwriting full of intense arrangements, rousing compositions of the verses as well as the refrains, grapping pace variations, powerful organic grooves and loud'n'proud hymnal sing-a-longs, truckloads of energy and dynamics, and exciting and nicely diverse and varying rhythm structures and this all on a massively overwhelming level of quality, hell yeahr, so, yes, this is the absolute real deal and definitely the complete package. The guitars deliver a very hard edge and sharp cutting and harsh sawing rhythm work while at the same time delivering also one hell of sweet melody-lines via brilliant leads and great little-big solos non stopp and the guitar work, no matter at what part of it we look in particular, really'n'truly rocks massively from start to finish. The lead vocals... nah... do I really need to say more... hell, absolutely first class, topp notch, highliest charismatic... damn, we are talking about Lars Frederiksen, the man himself, so I think that I really don't have to say more about it here and now anyhow anyway. The loud, full, and powerful backings only add up to it all. The buzzing and powerful rumbling bass work and the heavy hitting and hard smashing drumming then finally round it all up perfectly. To say some last words about the very strong and fresh Rock & Roll influences then just let me say that the majestic AC/DC back then with the divine Bon Scott couldn't have done the opening riff of the boneshaking opener "HELL'S A LOT BETTER" any better than the OLD FIRM CASUALS did it here and they still deliver it all their very own way and style; and especially the verse arrangements and also the intonation, accentuation, and delivery of the verses and the vocals in general of the just totally outshining fantastic "1312" breath a lot of GUNS'N'ROSES' attitude and spirit just think of their "LIES" era, yes, and Axl Rose himself didn't sound that much more pissed off, snotty, angry, and nasty back then than Lars Frederiksen does it today. And then we also get with "SEX CASE" and "SANCTUARY CITY" two first class straight forward dustdry American Oi! slashers of the highest grade, yes, and with the phenomenal-masterpiece title-track "WARTIME ROCK & ROLL" itself then THE OLD FORM CASUALS serve us the total and absolute anthemic'n'hymnal über-hit of the album, yes, it's absolutely fantastic and phenomenal and definitely one of ist very own kind. Then we also get fantastic lyrics, outspoken, critical, and direct, a gorgeous artwork, and a great earthy and warm and yet still heavy cracking production sound on top of it all. This little silver shining disc is one of the very, very best  albums of 2017 and also one of the very, very best ones in and also probably for years, oh hell yeahr, and so I will now close this review with saying loud, clear, and precise that you definitely and desperately need to have this brilliant stand-alone masterpiece in your collection - and then play it loud, play it damn loud - and again and again. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(10 of 10 points)

https://www.facebook.com/TheOldFirmCasualsOi (-the link to the facebook site of the band)

THE OLD FIRM CASUALS - "WARTIME ROCK & ROLL" (2017, "WARTIME ROCK & ROLL")

45 ADAPTERS - "THEY CALL IT JUSTICE" (2017)

45 ADAPTERS - "THEY CALL IT JUSTICE"
(3 Songs; coloured vinyl in wihte-red-blue-splatter-style)
("Contra Records"; 7''; 2017):

New week, new post, new record-review, yes, starting the week in a proper way; or at least that's how it's planned... And so no better way to kick it off with some damn great American Oi! of the (probably) most unique way and style and so (and yes, oh yes, shame on me, so much shame...) here and now finally comes the next/newest proper post about the almighty 45 ADAPTERS since 2010 (yes, shame on me...) for you and it is my record-review on their so far newest 7'' single "THEY CALL IT JUSTICE" released (in 2017) via the very sympathic german "CONTRA RECORDS" label. Okay, to say it so, in the first decade of the 2000's the 45 ADAPTERS grew on to be one of my absolutely favorite bands outta there and I also did my first or second interview up here with them... and so I can't really tell how it came that I lost them in the last years sort of more or less totally out of sight... real life issues and all this stuff, I know, for sure... but this sucked and sucks anyhow anyway, period. But okay, this is the past and now is now or so and the 45 ADAPTERS are finally back at my turntable, so to say, and it was desperately about time for this. It's great to see (or hear/listen to) that they definitely sticked damn true to their absolutely amazing and unique style while at the same time 'quality-wise' they gotten even better than before. This is hard and especially (very) smart and very 'danceable' American Oi! with a very 'special flavour' in sound and style and attitude and of a huge and immense 'uniqueness' and a very strong and superb own identity and highly characteristic. The 45 ADAPTERS heavily mix their very rhythmic accentuated and bonedry played yet incredible hymnal/anthemic American Oi! with strong marks of Old School Rock & Roll, some Blues guitar licks, and good'n'healthy doses of Mod Rock and they enrich it all with doing so/this incredible massively; and also this so 'incredibly-enriched-and-massively-mixed-up-and-through' American Oi! is a so strong and unique style, yes, that any comparisions absolutely fail. Maybe you can on a very, very, very loose basis just compare them to the outstanding and larger than life, immortal THE TEMPLARS also from New York City, yes, because also THE TEMPLARS enrich and cultivate their American Bootboy Rock & Roll in parts with the above mentioned ingredients but THE TEMPLARS and the 45 ADAPTERS do it in pretty different ways anyhow anyway, yes, but like I've said this comparision could maybe serve you well as a (very, very, very) loose starting point from which on you can start your journey to discover the 45 ADAPTERS just in case you haven't done so already over sort of the last decade (and if you haven't done so so far the blame's solely on you and also... why the hell ever you haven't done so so far...) and so that you now maybe get some (even) better idea(s) of what you get right here, right now. The biggest trademark is the bonedry as well as boneshaking guitar work that delivers an outstanding rhythm work that's truly pretty heavy and yet in an absolutely amazing and massively clichée-free way catchy and first and foremost danceable like hell and that marks the songs surely heavily and massively, yes, and also this rhythm work is very multi-layered and nicely diverse and offers a lot of exciting twists'n'turns and grapping arrangements all the time. And also the guitars offer strong melody-lines, leads, and also solos, too. Absoultely first class stuff!!! Also the very charismatic and 'full(y)-voiced' lead vocals shine very, very bright, yes, and the rousing and powerful rhythm section and especially the walkin'n'talkin' bass also totally stick out. What I've said about the diverse and exciting, multi-layered and grapping gutiar work is also so to say about the fantastic and very rousing songwriting, and all is done and delivered by very skilled musicians. And so all the three songs are total killer tracks. One of the very best releases of 2017 and one that you definitely have to call your own, point and fact. Fantastic and very outspoken and critical lyrics, a strong and gorgeous artwork, and a dustdry, earthy'n'dirty, organic, and warm production sound then round it all finally up. So, yes, I think I've said so far all that I've had to say about the (again) sheer phenomenal "THEY CALL IT JUSTICE" 7'' of/by the 45 ADAPTERS, yes, just let me state that you should really take some time to really discover this little big gem 'in deep' because it really holds very much for you in store just listen focussed to the fantastic bass work (to name just one example); and now let me close this record-review with one more time again pointing out that you definitely (and desperately, even if you don't know about that 'desperate state' so far) need to call this masterpiece your very own and this best 'yesterday-than-today' (so to say) and, yes, the 45 ADAPTERS are still-again one of my absolute favorites. Just totally overwhelming and fantastic. Last words: Get it asap!!! Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(10 of 10 points)

https://www.45adapters.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

45 ADAPTERS - "THEY CALL IT JUSTICE" (2017, "THEY CALL IT JUSTICE")

LION'S LAW and STARS & STRIPES - "HERITAGE" (2017)

LION'S LAW and STARS & STRIPES - "HERITAGE"
(4 Songs; two songs per side and per band. Black-and-bonewhite vinyl.)
("Contra Records" & "Longshot Music"; 2017; 7''):

Hey guys, yes, good morning. It's been a while since I've done the last stuff up here, yes, real life can be very 'time consuming' from time to time I guess... but anyhow, yes, so it's really about time that something new comes up here and after I don't know how soon 'things'n'times' will be not so 'stressy' anymore and I have some free spare time to spend right now after breakfast and before work I will right now give you my newest record-review and that is now coming for and at you and will be all about the new split 7'' vinyl release shared by the young french roughnecks LION'S LAW (that are currently hyped a lot) and the almighty STARS & STRIPES (their fantastic last full-length-album "PLANET OF THE STATES" from some years ago I will probably also do a record-review on in the future, we will see); and btw your eyes aren't playing tricks on you and so now here I finally really have a new record-review on a new vinyl release in store for you after I finally bought me, myself, and I a new LP-player last month after my beloved glory old one that served me well for about sort of nearly 25 years decided some time last year that it is really about time to say goodbye and go into retirement... Okay, side A is owned by LION'S LAW and shame on me but this is my first ever 'happening' so far with them and I get and understand and definitely cheer up to the sort of 'hype' that they currently seem to get 'everywhere'. Melodic, catchy and hymnal and yet very tough and heavy played Oi! with some fresh kicking American Oi! impressions as well as some proud stomping British Oi! roots in it and all delivered via big leading guitars and highly energetic and dynamic rolling and rousing songwriting we get from them. Marked by the smashing guitars that deliver a very strong 'rough'n'tough' rhythm punch with a lot of power and force behind it and especially with great singing melodic leads and strong solo work, and also by the melodic and yet still pretty hard sung lead vocals that deliver very strong verses and highly anthemic refrains and that are nicely backed up by loud back up chants. Beefed up by the harsh buzzing bass work and the mighty stomping drumming. Fresh and very hymnal songwriting delivered by this very wellskilled guys only add up to this. Their own song "HERITAGE" totally kills and with their STARS & STRIPES cover tune "THE POWER AND THE GLORY" they deliver a great (sort of...) 'tribute' to the legends and do definitely justice to the larger than life original even they don't 'match up with it' but they deliver anyhow. And, to be damn honest, they do really come damn close to the more than only legendary original. I can only say that this is damn great stuff and I really need to get my hands on more LION'S LAW stuff in the (near) future. Then on side B the absolutely larger than life and almighty STARS & STRIPES serve us their brandnew tune "KNOCK 'EM OUT" and this is a total killer. But.. for all what I finally got/get this is 'originally' also a LION'S LAW track. Damn it... Shame on me! But STARS & STRIPES turn this totally and absolutely into their very own 'thing'. And so they deliver: Harsh and heavy, pissed off and angry, militant and sinister forward slashing (American) Oi! with full force onwards into battle riding and mercylessly onwards pushing and marching with raised fists held up high and yet still offering a very strong and present melodic work, a great hymnal character and a great dynamic and varying and intense songwriting that this more than  well-skilled gentlement from Boston unleash at us and this all with their very strong own and unique identity and character and also pretty much in the tradition of their last masterpiece so far "PLANET OF THE STATES". Heavy hitting tough as nails guitars that shine with huge powerful rhythm arrangements and even more with great singing leads and also a cool solo work mark the songs massively and this for all the right reasons. Harsh and yet still melodic sung, very charismatic lead vocals do the same, delivering mighty verses and hymnal sing a long refrains as well in a totally top notch way and are also in the right moments nicely backed up by loud'n'proud crew back up chants. A heavy roaring bass and heavy hitting drumming then beef and bulk it all up in a massive way. Absoultely purest platinum!!! Then they do also a cover tune and this of the self-titled LION'S LAW battleanthem "LION'S LAW". The original I don't know so far (same is to say about the original of "KOCK 'EM OUT"...) but STARS & STRIPES anyhow deliver here one roaring Oi! battle hymn of the highest and finest grade. Both bands deliver also strong lyrics, the production sound of both sides is first class, and the artwork just totally rocks, ah, and the vinyl also comes with a download code, too. LION'S LAW deliver brightest shining pure gold and STARS & STRIPES deliver purest precious platinum which means that LION'S LAW get 9 out of 10 (at least... maybe even more...) and STARS & STRIPES get 10 out of 10 and  so definitely anyone only slightly into Oi! here's my highest recommendation for you, yes, so definitely get this little big masterpiece and then play it loud. Very loud!!! And now I'll soon be off to work and so I wish you all a great day and more sooner or later up here again and so stay tuned for more. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(9,5 of 10 points)

https://www.rebellionshop.com/lion-s-law-stars-and-stripes-heritage-7-ep.html (- get it for example right there and best right now)

LION'S LAW - "THE POWER AND THE GLORY" /STARS & STRIPES cover\ (2017, "HERITAGE")

LEGION 76 - "LEGION 76" (2017)

LEGION 76 - "LEGION 76"
(Running time: 43:05 minutes; 14 songs)
("Contra Records"; 2017; CD):

Good morning my dear readers, okay, it's nearly eleven o'clock (a.m.) while I am starting this post (okay, with an-hour-break due to a telephone-call, okay...) and so maybe already not really that much anyhow 'morning' anyway but anyhow the right time to start on working a new post which means ('yet-still of course...') on a new record-review post for you all outta there and so now here we are and what's now about to hit you is my record-review on the self-titled compilation- and (if I am now correct sort of) full-length-debut-album of/by LEGION 76 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/U.S.A. delivering us one of the most amazing and very best albums of 2017 and that serve us one hell of an outstanding American Oi! on one hell of a level of quality, oh hell yeahr, and they took me by storm with it and totally conquered me in a more than just supreme way. LEGION 76 were/are also a band that (shame on me, I know) were more or less totally unknown to me before I got my hands on this album. I knew them a bit through social media stuff and sort of due to YouTube and also their Bandcamp site and what I knew convinced me strongly but for all what I got (please, correct me if I am wrong with/on that...) so far they only released vinyl 10"'s, singles and split releases and due to the fact that I only pretty recently before christmas 2017 managed to not forget about it and so finally made a new LP-player as a gift to me, myself, and I from me, myself, and I a band like the LEGION 76 was so far sort of mostly 'under-my-radar-screen' and so I was really glad and really 'curiously' excited when I saw that this self-titled compilation-album on CD was released (for all what I know, correct me if I am wrong with/on that...) at the end (?) of 2017 via the strong-going german "CONTRA RECORDS" label and it was already pretty clear for/to me that I definitely would need to call this my very own, yes, and so I did with buying it promptly. And since then it is 'ongoingly' on heavy rotation. This is highest grade American Oi! the brickwall style. Between powerful kicking up tempo and massively energetic and nicely dynamic stomping mid pace LEGION 76 move and they deliver one sheer full force fist in the air heavy and crushing 'masterly' executed Oi! Oi! Oi! that's highly intense (attitude-, atmosphere-, and deliverywise) and absolutely massive and also done very, very well-skilled and maybe loosely to be located standing proud and strong on a very stand-alone and self-contained position somehwere between BOOT PARTY and PATTON'S LEGION as well as SOLDIER 76 on the one side and STARS & STRIPES and BONECRUSHER on the other side (and fans of the great german GUTS & GLORY, just in case you may know/knew and still remember them, will surely love the LEGION 76 as well, too) and this they do with having a very strong own identity and a pretty unique approach to it all already as well. This shines through in the formidable songwriting that delivers highly energetic and dynamic powerful crushing and smashing song arrangements and rhythm archtitectures all the way that really excite and (a)rouse you and grab you instantly and carry you with them all the way, all the time, again and again, yes, and the very honest and so also very sympathic attitude and mentality also only adds up to the many benefits of/for  LEGION 76, oh yes, and that this fine gentlemen also for damn sure know how to play I only mention here for reasons of completness. What also really totally just rules supremely is the fact that LEGION 76 really manage to deliver truly damn strong and very fresh arranged verses really absoultely all the time as well as absoultely stunning and completly alive/lively massive fist in the air and sing a long refrains that turn each and every song simply into nothing else but totally larger than life anthems and/or hymns all the damn ride and this all absoultely 'amazingly' on a larger than life level of skill and quality and identity. Powered forward by hard stomping and yet very melodic sharp cutting and heavy hitting guitars that deliver one hell of a thundering rhythm work and also first class leads and headspinning solos, too. All pushed on and on by rough'n'tough as nails dry and heavy, throaty and yet still sort of really melodic and especially full and powerful shouted and sung lead vocals that are backed up by very forceful loud, wide, fat, and proud gang back up chants. The 'grizzly' bass work and the harsh stomping drumming then round it all finally up. And this all, like already said, on a damn high skilled level of delivery, point and fact. I know that for/on 2017 I haven't done one of my usual retrospections up here but you can be sure that if I would have done so then LEGION 76's "LEGION 76" would be definitely to be found in my personal top five ranks/list, yes, and this without a single doubt. Strong and honest Working Class and Oi! lyrics, a really gorgeous and beautiful artwork, and dirty, earthy, and yet heavy hitting production sound then round it all finally up, yes, and this in all the right way.The whole album is just through and through pure platinum and so I will spare me any 'listening-tipps' right here, right now. Instead of this I now close this record-review with saying that anyone who states he/she would be only anyhow slightly into Oi! and Streetpunk music needs to have this larger than life American Oi! masterpiece in his/her Collection (promptly) and so go out and get it and this best instantly right now, period. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!
(10 of 10 points)
https://legion76.bandcamp.com/ (-the link to the Bandcamp site of the band)

LEGION 76 - "INTO DARKNESS" (2017, "LEGION 76")

BROKEN HEROES - "MAKE Oi! GREAT AGAIN" (2017)

BROKEN HEROES - "MAKE Oi! GREAT AGAIN"
(Running time: 39:00 minutes; 13 songs)
("Step 1 Music"; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, back @ work again, so here now comes my newest record-review post for you and this time it's finally time (or surely even about time) to bring some proper Oi! back to the "MANSLAUGHTER-THUG-LIFE" up here and this in a great way, definitely, and this time it will be all about the kick-ass album that marked in 2017 the return of the (al)mighty American Oi! legends BROKEN HEROES from New Jersey with their masterpiece "MAKE Oi! GREAT AGAIN" (btw, great albumtitle) released in (you've guessed it already...) 2017 via "STEP 1 MUSIC" (good that they are still active'n'around) and that last month (december 2017, when it also for all what I know was released) finally landed also in my collection and from then'n'there on it conquered me, yes, and it massively conquered me (and continues to do so). This is bonesmashing and skullcracking harsh and yet nicely diverse and melodic roughnecked (American) Oi! music massively pushed and driven forwards'n'onwards by full-force sawing and very violent raging guitars that deliver a truly shredding and stomping, a sheer heavy crushing rhythm work as well as well-dosed melodic arrangements and leads and also a big bunch of cool solos, yes, all done very well-skilled, nicely diverse and varying, but above all powerful and smashing intense. Yes, that's how I love it, and for all the right reasons the guitars do mark the songs strongly. Hard and angry, snotty and pissed off, throaty and charismatic lead vocals that are enriched by strong backings and really loud'n'proud crew chants cultivate and mark the music only further on, yes, and also for sure for all the right reasons, period. Powerful forwards storming verses and rousing hymnal sing-a-long refrains shine both as well nearly all the time here on BROKEN HEROES' "MAKE Oi! GREAT AGAIN" on and on again. A tough as nails rumbling bass and powerful punching and smashing drums then round it all up with adding a massive amount of beefy and bulky flesh'n'meat to the backbone(s) of the songs and music of the BROKEN HEROES here on "MAKE Oi! GREAT AGAIN". Forceful and intense and yet still nicely varying songwriting that also offers fantastic moonstompin' SKA/Skinhead Reggae tunes melts it all together and all is delivered by truly well-skilled veterans. And it's all full of energy, highly dynamic, and really rousing and powerful to the max, an exciting and grapping true kick to the head in all the right way. Honest and sympathic and delivered in a through'n'through fantastic way; and the same is to say about the great honest Working Class and Oi!/Skinhead lyrics, the absolutely gorgeous artwork, and the rough'n'tough dirty and also heavy hitting production sound, yes, making out of all this the real deal and the damn fucking complete package. My personal favorites are "BUILT TO LAST", "MURDER ON MY MIND", "SOMETHING SPECIAL", "WORKING CLASS SLOB", "THIS AIN'T FOR YOU", "WE NEVER RUN", "VIOLENCE IS THE ANSWER", the amazing done FORCED REALITY cover "15 PINTS" (with overworked lyrics), and "OVERNIGHT LOVE AFFAIR", yes, all purest platinum. Also the other, not mentioned, and also anyhow only (very) few songs are really strong stuff, for sure, the only song that really leaves me cold is "BEER RUN" and if it wouldn't be for that particular one the rating would be even better as it so also anyhow already is. This is one hell of an album, oh hell yeahr, this is amazing and absolutely finest (American) Oi! that you simply definitely need to have if you are only anyhow slightly into Oi!, Streetpunk, and Punkrock and so you should as soon as possible grab a copy of it, point and fact. I now give it another round and trust me when I say that I will now play it loud; damn loud. Damn loud! This is real American Oi! and this is still my absolutely favorite music and so it will definitely continue to be. Join or die!!! Oi! Oi! Oi!

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.facebook.com/BrokenHeroes (- the link to the facebooksite of the band)

BROKEN HEROES - "VIOLENCE IS THE ANSWER"(*) (2017, "MAKE Oi! GREAT AGAIN")

(*here it is in a slightly older version from a split from 2014)