*** "I HEAR ALL YOU TALK ABOUT SMASH THE STATE, LEFT WING, RIGHT WING, FULL OF HATE!!!" ***

BETTER DEAD THAN RED - "R.A.C. WARRIORS" ("Commie Killer Tunes"; CD):

One of the few (current) R.A.C. bands that I really like, and after reviewing their record "MARX WAS WRONG" (2006) earlier before here on this very blog it's now time for their next record "R.A.C. WARRIORS" (2007), and when I finally can get their self-titled last release (2009) somewhere to buy here then you will also get the record review of this one here to read. So, okay, now back to this record here. First I thought: "Uhm, nah, what have they done here?!?" It was all about the powerless production sound, and yes, sadly enough the production sound was, is and stays crap, even you get used to it. After this, getting used to it, I have to admit that this one here is as good as the "MARX WAS WRONG" release, if not maybe even a little bit better. It's a little bit 'softer' or not that heavy as the precursor release, sometimes a little bit more classical old styled (but NOT retro) R.A.C. music and a lot of good old Rock & Roll music is there to name as heavier musical influences, and the Hardcore notes that were to recognize on the precursor full length you can seak and seak here on this one but you just won't find them. Melodic, yet still heavy guitar work, dirty rockin' and even more dirty rollin', is markin' the songs very strong. Powerful guitar riffs, hymnal leads, and some really pretty cool guitar solos leaving their impressive bootprint on the songs of "R.A.C. WARRIORS". Then we do get the typical very hard but also somehow really impressive melodic and also truly anthemic lead vocals of BETTER DEAD THAN RED, hard and smart, and I really love this lead singing voice, just listen to their fantastic ROSE TATTOO covertune "IT'S GONNA WORK ITSELF OUT", great voice that I can also imagine very well as the lead singing voice of some Southern Rock band out there. Really great!!! And it's all backed up by a very massive and bulky, tight and unstoppable forward marching rhythm section, that's really giving the songs the last kick to push them forward into battle. And sometimes we also get delivered a pretty cool organ, what's always a nice thing. And they are still playing their very own style and sound of R.A.C.music, hm, maybe you can locate them somewhere in the wide open space between BRUTAL ATTACK, ARRESTING OFFICERS, and ROSE TATTOO (no, the last ones had never been a R.A.C. band, I know, I hope you too...), but keep in mind that these are just something like cornerstones 'cause BETTER DEAD THAN RED are copying nobody. On top of it we do also get a big bunch of very militant and violent and critical (on the ruling policy as well as society) lyrics, and yes, it's R.A.C. music so the oh so evil Reds are (still) the global threat and enemy no. # 1 and the ruling policy is still occupied by and protecting the Reds, even something like a somehow socialist or even communist policy is nowhere to be seen (don't talk about the self proclaimed left revolutionary states in South America, 'cause that's just nothing but a farce at all), especially not in the western world. But okay, perceptions can and do differ, and that's okay. But the lyrics of BETTER DEAD THAN RED are also pretty often very good stuff, just listen to the great battle anthem "CARRY YOUR BANNERS", brilliant!!! The ROSE TATTOO cover, it's mentioned before, is really good, but that cover of LUNIKOFF ("TERRORIST WITH A GUITAR") I really haven't needed, stupid White Power Nazi faggot!!! But, okay, why the hell ever they had done it, you don't have to listen to it if you don't need or like it, point and fact!!! By the way, still for what I do get I can't see any White Power, NS, 14/88 faggot crap here, and so all is fine with me. A very stand-alone R.A.C. band of today, musically as well as lyrically, that you really should give a try if you like some pretty good guitar dominated Rock & Roll music with a conservative and nationalist stance. Check them out!!! Ah, and the controversial artwork looks pretty cool!!! If just not this crappy production sound would make that much damage to it the rating would be also better... Cheers & Oi! (8 of 10 points)

(http://www.myspace.com/bdtrracwarriors)

And now you get also some videos of some BETTER DEAD THAN RED tracks, just enjoy them!!! Oi!

BETTER DEAD THEN RED - "YOU'RE GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN"

BETTER DEAD THEN RED - "CAN'T BELIEVE"

BETTER DEAD THAN RED - "COMMIE KILLER"

*** BETTER DEAD THAN A FUCKIN' RED ***

Hey folks,
hope all of you had been coming good into this new week!!!???!!! I've got some new 'Videos' for you, some video clips of the American R.A.C. band BETTER DEAD THAN RED. I've reviewed also already their "MARX WAS WRONG" record some days or weeks ago, and now I thought to myself: "Why not posting some video clips of and to them?" And so I'll do it now. It's a pretty good band, not that typical R.A.C. anyhow (when it comes to the music), if you ask me, when it comes to the lyrics they are more or less very typical R.A.C. at all. Hm, they seem to be labeled Right Wing Punk instead of R.A.C. these days, don't know if this is true at all, and I also don't know if it's maybe a better genre description to describe them. About WP and/or NS faggot low life crap when it comes to BETTER DEAD THAN RED I know nothing, and so for what I know that's all pretty fine with me, but how-ever, I don't know it that precise and I also just don't care that much about it anyhow anyway anymore, I've written something 'bout them also in the above mentioned review and I've also no time to spend to write some 'justification-stuff' why you find them here on this very blog, I mean, come on, there are more important things in life and everyone who reads this blog should know how I think about R.A.C. music and who can't stand it: Fine!!! It's about the music that knows to convince me, about at least some lyrically issues that know to convince me, and it's not about a debate on politics after all. So, BETTER DEAD THAN RED, a pretty if not very good band playing some pretty if not very good R.A.C. music and singing also sometimes some damn good lyrics in their songs. So here now come some videos of them for ya all, paying a little tribute to them,and this are videos to their great songs "AMERICAN RADIO" (you find this song on their "MARX WAS WRONG" record, and it's one of my favorite songs, even this version is a little bit different and more rough and raw than the version you find on the mentioned record), "R.A.C. WARRIORS", "CAROLINA (THE LOCAL SOVEREIGNITY SONG)", "FIRE IN THEIR EYES" and their pretty cool MOTÖRHEAD cover of the classic "1916". Ah, by the way, it's correct that in 2009 a self-titled record of them came out, and in 2007 already the "R.A.C. Warriors" record of them came also out. Just that you know it. Ah, and all the songs are taken more or less from very different releases of them. So yeahr, just enjoy some Right Wing Punk or R.A.C. music from the United States of America. Cheers & Oi!

BETTER DEAD THAN RED - "AMERICAN RADIO"


BETTER DEAD THAN RED - "R.A.C. WARRIORS"


BETTER DEAD THAN RED - "CAROLINA (THE LOCAL SOVEREIGNITY SONG)"


BETTER DEAD THAN RED - "FIRE IN THEIR EYES"

BETTER DEAD THAN RED - "1916" (MOTÖRHEAD - cover song)

*** THE SWORD OF THE WEST ***

BETTER DEAD THAN RED - "MARX WAS WRONG" ("Prophecy Records"; CD):

Whooa, and again the next record of the 'controversial sort' that's been reviewed here by me. Problems with it? Don't read it! (Or maybe read it anyhow!) No problems with it? Okay, let's go! BETTER DEAD THAN RED are an American R.A.C. from the South of the U.S.A., from Carolina or so I think. This one is their still current record, for what I do know, but it's already four years old, released back in 2006, but okay, a self-titled record of 2009 shall be floating around, but I've seen or heard nothing of it, so I just stay with that one here. Ah, and at least some guys of BETTER DEAD THAN RED also play in EMPIRE FALLS, just that you know it. Ah, and this one was and is and stays the third full length record of BETTER DEAD THAN RED. I already knew their two precursor releases, "A BETTER LAND" (2000) and "THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO" (2001), and while "THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO" was at least a solid record, but also nothing somehow what would make you think: "Yeahr, damn it, I have to own it!!!", especially "A BETTER LAND" was a terrible record, boring like not much else. So I wasn't really intrested in this record, and that's the reason why I really just got it some weeks from now ago. I've got it for a very fair price, so yeahr, why not giving it finally try, that's how I thought. And it wasn't a mistake, I would have missed a positive suprise with missing this one. And yes, it's R.A.C., it's nationalistsic, anti-communist, conservative, law and order, proud of creed and heritage, critical on the ruling system, declining the existing state, but for what I do get it's not WP or NS, and so it's all fine with me. (And even it's not, don't forget, it's a record review and not a debate on politics or something like this.) We do get fifteen tracks at all, and they've developed pretty much. It's some hard R.A.C. that's really build up upon the beefy backbone of the massive rhythmsection, blasting drums and forceful bass work come together in one damn hell of a musical brawl, and that's marked by some very harsh, yet melodic guitar playing, and the sheer brutal voice of the lead singer. It's not really good comparable to or with other R.A.C. bands and releases, if from the States or not does not matter. Hard and angry music, pissed off as fuck but also still coming with some really good worked out melodies. Good stuff, for sure!!! Musically it's a mixture out of hard and grumpy R.A.C., pissed off (old school) Hardcore, hymnal Oi! sounds, and some good old Punkrock notes to it. All played really, really good, and the songs are mostly written in a really grapping way. Check them out!!! More or less R.A.C. typical lyrics, sometimes smarter, sometimes not that smart at all, and okay, that said must be enough when it comes to their lyrics. Nice looking artwork, even for example the frontcover is totally clichè, and the production sound is a really good one. So, yeahr, that record here you can really give a fair chance and a good round to try it out. Good stuff!!! Cheers & Oi! (8 of 10 points)

(http://www.myspace.com/carolinarightwingpunk - it's a fan page)

(http://www.myspace.com/empirefalls)