"WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK - WORK TO CLEAN OUR NATION!!! WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK - FUCK OFF INFESTATION!!!"

BRASSIC - "VOICE OF FREEDOM"
("Hostile Class Productions"; CD):

Okay, first of all: If you read my blog regulary and from the beginning on then you probably know about the problems I used to have with this very band here, BRASSIC from L.A., SoCal. Reading in interviews about being against SHARP and stuff like this, pfff, I don't give a fuck about it at the end of the day. I mean, I'm against Bonehead faggot scum and subhuman lowlife garbage of this kind, but I don't think that it is so important at all at the end of the day. Reading that old school Britain R.A.C. (SKREWDRIVER, BRUTAL ATTACK, etc.) as well as early American R.A.C. (ARRESTING OFFICERS, etc.) are important influences for them, whooaaa, good and important and necessary music stays good and important and necessary music even the message it carries is some total dull crap (and this counts for both sides of the fence). But then reading that the "stiff-arm-salute" (...) is a well-known sight at BRASSIC concerts (especially in their hometown area) and that the band cheers to it and reading then all this 'culture' and 'heritage' stuff and that they use to play- for all what I've heard- with bands out of the WP/NS Haterock scene of the U.S.A. really turned my meaning about BRASSIC around and set an end to my interest in BRASSIC. Later I've read some other interviews that set some things straight and so I decided to choose a more diverse kind of a meaning about them and slowly also my interest in them came alive again. Even a foul taste remained and still remains. Now here's their debut album (after two D.I.Y. demo releases) that was announced to be released via the german (at least) White Pride record label "Oi! AIN'T RED RECORDS" based in the german city of Hildesheim a little bit more than a half-hour away from here I live (btw, yehp, that's right, Oi! ain't red but it also ain't a thing of or for the black shirts and/or the brown jackets, you stupid bastards) but that didn't come true (thank the mighty Buddha for that), and now it's released via the (to me pretty unknown) "HOSTILE CLASS PRODUCTIONS" label. And I have to say, that a lot of the stuff that gave me such a foul taste is back here again. It seems totally like a not-outspoken and cowardly hidden White Pride/White Power band, all this talking about culture (and mixed up culture that would be the root of all evil, etc. pp.) and stuff like this in lyrics that somehow desperatly demand 'race' instead of 'culture', 'xenophobia' instead of 'heritage', and 'hate' instead of 'pride', and really scream for that are really some strange and bitter affair, just read the lyrics to the opener "INFESTATION" and you'll know what I mean. (Note: The lyrics aren't outspoken racist or fascist or anything like this, but there's a shady feeling and a foul taste that's left after it.) Doing a cover of the (btw also lyrically damn good) anti-alien-attack anthem "EVIL HAS LANDED" of the ARRESTING OFFICERS then also seems like a statement of the proof of believe sort of things. Ah, and to dedicate this album (beside other guys that passed away) to the WP activist and piss-poor-and-dumb coward Dieter Samoy of KILL BABY, KILL that used to end his oh so supreme white existence last year (or so) by his own hands when facing a prison sentence because of the beating (with a deadly result) of an african immigrant (that died later due to the beating and its consequences) is also just a total jackass affair, dumb and disgusting (like good old boy Dieter), but if ya want to know more about my opinion about it just read the entry about it here on this very blog. But then there are also songs and lyrics like "VOICE OF FREEDOM" that speak a somehow pretty different language. Also a lot of good guys out there pointed out that BRASSIC are just a right wing Oi! band (coming out of a- that's how it seems- very left wing Skinhead scene in SoCal) and in no way a WP/NS Rock garbage band and to be just right wing is more than only okay (at least to me, but a lot of guys out there see this a little bit different today, especially over here in damn fucked up Germany, a nation full of cowards and appeasers and U.N. assfuckers- from the left to the right and vice verca, pffff, I don't give a fuck about 'my' land and the society that's polluting it so much and rotting it down to the core), maybe comparable to STORMWATCH and COMBAT READY. So I don't know, maybe it's also just me with having my problem that I just can't really see thru it all, haha;-), but anyhow I'll leave it up to you what you're now about to do. (Hm, maybe I should request to do an interview with them by myself to finally seethru it?!? Worth every single damn word they definitely would be!!!) And, btw, don't get me wrong, I just wanted to point that out, my 'strange feeling about it' and nothing else, and even BRASSIC would be a WP band, ha, you know I would have done the review of this one here anyhow, hehe;-). So, okay, now finally (after more than enough introduction words) straight onward to and into this record review, hell yeahr, so here we go again: I always hated to read that BRASSIC would sound oh so 'unamerican' for an American Oi! band... and you know what, ha, now I have to write it by myself, damn it, haha;-). This is pretty much old school Britain Skinhead Rock & Roll with some strong early R.A.C. feeling to it, old SKREWDRIVER mixed up with some old BRUTAL ATTACK, here and there some few old tyme American Oi!/R.A.C. influences, yehp, and all done very fresh and exciting and in no fucking goddamn way 'retro', yes, truly cool stuff. Fast paced and good flowing and 'clinging' guitar work, a very forceful and present bass playing, tight as fuck drumming, and powerful and brutal sung 'smoky' and 'thirsty' vocals. The guys know how to play pretty well (thumbs up for that) and also they know how to work out their songs really good and pretty exciting as well as also pretty grapping, to say it short and precise: They know how to play their instruments and how to write songs, point and fact. I just miss here and there some more power and force (espcially the guitars could use some more heavyness and just sheer brutality and aggression) as well as here and there some more suprises or anyhing like this, some more changes in rhythm and pace of the songs for exxxample because from some point of this album on the songs sound pretty 'equal' when you listen to them in a row. I mean, you may can say it so: It works all damn good if ya look at each song with a 'single view', but over the distance of the full length the sound of BRASSIC could really use some fresh ups here and there. It's all not too annoying but something they should really take care of the next time, to compile a album with some different flavor here and there. Do a little bit something suprising the next time, damn it, you guys do own all the abilities to do so, you show it already here and now, so just work it out!!! That's all what blocks a better rating for the "VOICE OF FREEDOM" here. So, if pretty british sounding old school (but not 'retro') Skinhead Rock & Roll with a strong R.A.C. flavor is something for you (how could it be not?!?), if you like bands like SKREWDRIVER and BRUTAL ATTACK minus the (at least) outspoken WP message behind it, played by a strong and well-versed band from the States tha also know(s) how to do damn fuckin' great Sing-A-Long Refrains that really saw their way thru your ears into your head marking your brain for along, long time then you should give BRASSIC really a good round to try them out, and you know what, I promise ya that it will be worth your time and effort. On top of it some, hm, 'interesting' lyrics (somtimes 'shady', if not maybe even more, but often good and true), a great dirty and powerful production sound, a great artwork, and two cool cover songs ("EVIL HAS LANDED" of the ARRESTING OFFICERS and "FUCK L.A." of LONESOLDIER) and even both versions can't rival the original ones BRASSIC still did a damn good job with both songs. So, that are all the facs you need to know about this one here. And, to say it again short and precise: This here is NOT a anyhow WP/NS Rock record and/or band, above described 'strange feeling' is for what I do know now really nothing more than this, a 'strange feeling' I somehow can't really get rid off at all, so just don't do too much interpretations with and/or in it and don't judge about BRASSIC and don't label them because of this described 'strange feeling' of me that's also nothing more than my personal feeling. Judge them by their music, and by what they say and do (at least here on this album), and by nothing else!!! And if I got a total wrong impression than just contact me, I'm regulary 'here' doing some stuff on this blog so that here's no 'Anonymous' virtual warrior running his mouth about real people, nah, sure not!!! And to bring this record review now finally to its overdue end: Check them out (at least this), because for what they've done here they really do deserve it!!! I hope for more and even better stuff of them to come soon!!! Cheers & Oi! (8 of 10 points)

(Contact: http://www.myspace.com/brassicoi)

And now, if all works out like it should, you also get two videos of BRASSIC, two times live in action on stage, playing their Skinhead anthem "WARRIORS" and also the larger-than-life ARRESTING OFFICERS classic "DISORDERLY CONDUCT", and both times they just do great, so just enjoy it!!! Cheers & Oi!

BRASSIC - "WARRIORS" (live)

BRASSIC - "DISORDERLY CONDUCT" (ARRESTING OFFICERS - cover) (live)