... standing in line with no shelter from the rain, carry on, carry on...

TECH-9 - "NINE LIVES" ("I Scream Records"; CD):

Yeahr, I'm a huge, huge fan of this whole world of Oi!, Streetpunk, Hardcore, etc. music from the Netherlands, of all those different but all damn great bands like DISCIPLINE, HARDSELL, BANNER OF THUGS, CLOSE COMBAT, DISCHARGER, RAZORBLADE, BADLANDS, THE YOUNG ONES, and all the other great bands, and not to forget young and promising bands like THE BRUISEHEADS and also THE PATRONS. Yes, and TECH-9 are also one of this typical great Streetmusic bands from the Netherlands. Typical? Yeahr, typical! Not because they all would sound the same, no, no, no, but typical because all are playing damn good and high quality music (and the mentioned young and promising bands, especially THE BRUISEHEADS, do have the potential to do so fully one day by themselves). And yes, TECH-9 are also pretty typical in that way. They are around for quite a while already, but somehow for some years I haven't got 'em on my radar screen, but don't ask me why... 'cause that was a huge mistake!!! TECH-9 are delivering us a great Netherland Streetpunk sound that every fan of DISCIPLINE and HARDSELL will make smile like it would be the last day the sun sets up to the sky. But they aren't a copy of the unbeaten kings of DISCIPLINE, and they aren't also a copy of the also very great HARDSELL, they are just going in a matchable or comparable direction. You get here awesome Streetpunk with a beefy and hymnal Oi! backbone straight into your ears, all influenced by a huge dose of good old, yet very fresh Punkrock, and here and there are for gods sake still some hard hitting and sharp edged Hardcore marks to be detected, and always very strong and forceful forward rockin' and full of energetic fist to the air sing-a-long parts, one anthem follows the other. All very diverse and very, very well-versed done. Thumbs up!!! We get all in all twelve tracks, and nearly each single one is a true bomb, great!!! Hm, but if I should name my absolute favorite I would go with "CARRY ON", a total larger than life anthem with great "FTW! Stand for what you are!" lyrics. Beside this twelve tracks we do get also seven bonus tracks, one new recording of the first ever TECH-9 song "SURVIVAL" (1982), and then six great cover tunes of old Punkrock heroes, and I'll just name you the cover songs: "CALL ME" of BLONDIE, "STRANDED" of THE SAINTS, "CAUGHT WITH THE MEAT" of the DEAD BOYS, "YOUR GENERATION" of GENERATION-X, "LOBOTOMY" & "SHEENA WANNA DANCE" by the RAMONES (done in one 'medley-cover' song), and also the great "PRETTY VACANT" of the legendary the SEX PISTOLS. And yes, all cover songs are done fuckin' amazingly good, and they get some support by Sindee of ALL FOR NOTHING and LUCY DEE'S ANGELS. And yes, no violation of the original songs, just pure gold tribute to their roots. I want more!!! On top of it we do get damn good broadly based lyrics, a really cool artwork, and a very good production sound. Yes, this is a record that you really should call your own!!! Ah, yes, and I know that it's already a little bit older, released back in 2007, but for what I know it's still the current record of this great band called TECH-9, so shut up, 'cause it's still reviewed with enough justification here on this very blog, and if you still don't have it, then damn get it!!! Cheers & Oi! (9 of 10 points)

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