*** FASCIST ROCK FROM THE U.S.A. *** (Really need some?!? Really want some?!?)

96 BRIGADE - "REVOLUTION FOR DUMMIES"
("Label 56"; CD):

Okay, to get it straight right from the start: This here is Fascist Rock, and nothing else!!! Don't let it be sold to you as (patriotic) American Oi! or patriotic Streetpunk or non-p.c. Streetrock music (or a mix of it, like it was sold to me) and maybe even not as R.A.C. if ya just take R.A.C. literally (as being really just 'Rock' music against Communism and nothing further than this else), nah, this here is Fascist Rock!!! Fascism and Nationalism and Xenophobia form the concete on that 96 BRIGADE do their thing. Talking in interviews about how great a fascist government and society would be, and how the White Men should awake from their slumber to save their future speaks a lot. Even they do not play the 'race-card' that radical, singing and talking more about defending their (/your) 'heritage', to be proud of your 'heritage' and to benefit your nation and people with kickin' out all the 'aliens' out of your 'fatherland' and singing against capitalism because it woul destroy every 'volkish' idea that would be the saving guarantee for your people and nation. I say Fascist Rock and not NS Rock because from the lyrics and the interviews I know I wouldn't say that NS is what they are and preach, it's more 'traditional' Fascism, and also Racism and Anti-Semitism, the 'evil' Black Men and the even more 'evil' Jews, are only problems that should be dealt with in the second and third row when White Men had already taken cae of their own weakness and faults. So, yes, not that much NS for me in it, instead more 'traditional' Fascism, but White Pride and, if ya ask me, also White Power anyhow. Ah, yes, and Anti-Communism is something really serious for them, what they express with songs and lyrics like "RED = DEAD", and yes, guys, no need to comment the fear of this really giant global communist threat out there anyhow... Ah, and also Anti-Liberalism is pretty important to them, not to forget that Communism and Liberalism are often mixed into one and the same boogey-man figure... Hm, and childish phantasms of deadly violence express the only 'solution(s)' of them to every 'problem(s)', and yehp, you're right, pretty smart stuff anyway... Okay, enough said to the band, but just that you know about it and that you can step away from it when you're not intersted in spending money on some Fascist Rock from the United Stats of America, and I wouldn't blame ya for not wanting to do it anyhow. So, yes, now to the record of them here. Lyrically you get what you can expect to get now by knowing about the political background of the 96 BRIGADE, so I will spare me every more word about it. Musically I heard only good things about this record, no matter out of which political direction ever. And what shall I say: Hm, 'completly' or something like this I really can't understand it. We get basically very angry, bitter, raging and hatefilled Skinhead Rock from the States, all marked by really heavy guitar playing, dustdry played and fast straight ahead forward raging shit, and the pretty aggressively into the mic spitted staccato like (more spoken than sung) vocals. The rhythm section works tight, harsh and very precise, without any mistakes and without leaving any blank holes in the music. The lyrics are pretty important to the band (and also, even I don't agree to their ideas, the lyrics  sometimes done in a pretty good way at all), you can really hear this, and you get the impression that the music of the songs was mainly created and build around the already finished lyrics just to benefit the message that the 96 BRIGADE want to express to the world and after the 96 BRIGADE decided that music (and so the lyrics of the songs) would be better to benefit their ideas than (for example) doing poems the songs (which means the music) needed to be done around the lyrics. Hm, I hope you got what I wanted to say, haha;-)... And that's what's my main problem with this record, even you can really hear that here's a band at work that knows how to play and there are also sometimes some few really nice suprises melted into the sound (listen especially to the drumming) the songwriting-ability truly is what they do lack. All songs sound much too much equal and the same, same pace, same rhtyhm, same mood, the totally same way of expressing their aggression and frustration and rage on all levels all the time, nah, guys, and that's really not enough to convince me!!! Let us forget about the lyrics and the political ideas behind them for a while (I've already said enough about this issues), but musically that's just not enough what it's been done here and (if ya ask me) a lot of potential just wasn't used and that's really not enough after all and I also can't really understand why nearly everyone spreads the word that this would be a anyhow great record at all. All is just too much the same and equal, only few suprises are "MARCH ON WASHINGTON", "RED = DEAD", "REAL AMERICANS", "A BREAK IN THE DAM", and "COMMANDER & THIEF", the rest is all good done and nice stuff, in no way bad, but also in no way good. Just a solid midfield album, nothing else. The production sound is pretty good, clear and hard, you get it all, thumbs up, and the artwork looks great, especially the awesome frontcover of the album (I just love such style and motifs). So, yes, decide for yourself if you want to give your money and support to a White Pride Fascist Rock band from the States and all 'their scene involved' or not, but if ya ask me then musically here you won't find that much that would make this decision easier for ya just because (even I've heard the exactly opposite) it's just not that good or necessary at all, just a solid midfield release from the far right wing and nothing else, point and fact. Ah, if ya need some band-names to compare them with, take DEFINITE HATE and 13 KNOTS and take away the Southern Rock (and etc. pp.) influences as well as also the mostly heavy stomping mid pace tempo of and add a lot of pretty fast speed (respectively fast pace) and bitter and raging agression, and much too less diversification and put a big load of AMERICAN STANDARD (really they do remind me quite a bigger bit of AMERICAN STANDARD, also when it comes to their qualities as well as to their faults, and also when it comes to the attitude and the message... ah, and I forgot to mention that also like AMERICAN STANDARD the 96 BRIGADE do offers some old school Hardcore Punk notes as well as some pretty few old schoolish Hardcore marks) also to and in it, yes, then you have the 96 BRIGADE, yehp, and that's it. Don't need to have it anyhow, point and fact!!! Ah, one last word to the lyrics: You really get a good impression how far the middle class mainstream moved towards the far right and how good the far right knows today to embrace the middle class mainstream, and after this seems to be today the most aim of the far right you just have to admit, how bitter it all is, that at least the 96 BRIGADE and the "LABEL 56" did have succeeded in doing so with this release here. Ah, and for what I know it's the debut of the 96 BRIGADE and after it used to hit the market like a bomb, from the far right to the deepest middle of politics and society when it comes to subculture and the band became some sort of a best-seller of the label, I could and would bet that their will be coming much more from them in the (near) future. (6 of 10 points)

(I've found no MySpace site or something like this but here you get a link to a pretty good and 'it-all-telling' interview with the 96 BRIGADE, so click on the following link to know more and I also think that there you get some MP3 files of some of their songs to listen to; and here's the link: http://uprisedirect.blogspot.com/2010/05/96-brigade-interview.html)
Now you get a little video clip of the 96 BRIGADE song of the name of "A BREAK IN THE DAM" (also on this record), and with this song they also really drop every possible mask from their face, just listen to the lyrics. Okay, anyhow, check it out, but what might now with listening to only this one song may sounds to you like a pretty impressive statement turns out to become a big boring affair when all songs of the album sound exactly like this one here. But anyhow, check it out and then decide for yourself, and now enjoy it anyhow anyway here and now.

96 BRIGADE - "A BREAK IN THE DAM"