Latino Oi! from N.Y.C. by COMBATE 49 in 2011

COMBATE 49 - "DEMO 2011"
("D.I.Y."; MP3-Download):

Okay folks, this here is a pretty nice one, good to see that the Bootboys in and of COMBATE 49 from New York City (right, or?!?) are back again. First contact with them (respectively their music and also their message) was the D.I.Y. split CD they did last year with the mighty FIGHTING 84, and here they are back with their new release, their "DEMO 2011", and it's also a D.I.Y. affair and a lot of things have changed since the fall of 2010. Back then, for all what I know now, COMBATE 49 used to be not a proper band but just the lead singer and another guy who was doing respectively playing all the instruments (I hope I got it right) and now today they are a proper four piece band. And also they used to sing in spanish the last time around and have now today changed that so that they do sing on this one here all solely in english (what's a huge step anyhow). And what do they give us now here today after the mentioned some changes? COMBATE 49 are about to make them a name for themselves as a very promising N.Y.C. Oi! band. I labeled them back then (last fall) as a R.A.C. band (without any NS/WP/14-88 crap, just to get this straight right from the start... or from where the hell ever, it's just important to get this damn straight right now right here), hm, but I wouldn't do so still today, even things (maybe values to COMBATE 49) like Patriotism and Anti-Communism may still are damn important for them. (And why the fuck not?!?) But no, especially musically you won't find any R.A.C. reminiscences here on this very one, it's hard knocking, even harder stomping and damn brutal and aggressive, forceful and really dirty and truly angry Bootboy/Skinhead Oi! from the City that never sleeps, the city of New York by itself, and if you like the almighty OXBLOOD (how could you not do so) then also COMBATE 49 should be up on your list anyway (but they don't copy OXBLOOD in any way, just to get this also pretty straight right here and right now). Harsh and evil sawing and buzzing, angry and aggressive pushing guitar work, dominated and marked very strong by the forceful riffing and a very grounded and straight stomping rhythm (guitar) work, is marking the songs very strong and effective. The vocals are very angry and bitter, hard spitted and bitter shouted, staccato like delivered and are pretty cool stuff, but they could become much more flowing and more sung (then spoken) and with this a little bit more integrated into the songs. The rhythm work is really damn good stuff, especially the very present, marking, forceful and harsh pushing bass rules totally okay, and the drumming is some good oiled stomping rhythm machine, powerful and heavy pounding. And they also fixed quite a bit the problem of not being so tight and in time at all, I mean sometimes this problems you can still get aware of but they really improved quite a big bit and the next step is just about to come if you ask me. And to play their instruments they know also for sure, and the songwriting was also back then more than okay and is today really just very good stuff, trust me, also the pace and rhythm structures really know to convince when you are listening to this nice little gem. Also lyrically we get some cool stuff, from Skinhead Way of Life lyrics to brutal and violent Streetlifestyle issues to really great political stuff ("THIRD WORLD", damn good song and great lyrics) they give us a lot of good stuff to read. The production sound is dirty and noisy and really a great grounded affair, thumbs up for that, and the download comes with all lyrics and also the (maybe not really creative, but anyhow cool) artwork, hm, and for all what I know this pretty cool and surely damn good "DEMO 2011" of COMBATE 49 is currently just released as a (which means as this) MP3-Download (the download link I will give you as the closing line of this review). A big step forward and I'm curious to get more to listen to from COMBATE 49, so just check them out, download this demo and support them. Hopefully a good Oi! label with the guts to put them out will soon give COMBATE 49 a good and fair record deal, because I think that their time is about to come (if it's not already come along anyway). I really recommend this to anyone of you looking for some new hard American Oi! the East Coast (and especially N.Y.C.) way of style and sound, this is a very promising young band that we all should put up pretty high on our lists. Truly damn good stuff!!! Btw, it really feels damn good to get some good new (American) Oi! music to listen to finally again. And "THANX a lot!" I have to say to COMBATE 49 for sending me their "DEMO 2011" via MySpace and keeping me so 'informed' about what's going on in their camp, so again: "THANX guys!!!" and "ALL HAIL!!!" to you. Hm, maybe (if the band wants to and if I get it all finally done again) there will also come an interview with them some time in the (hopefully maybe near) future, because they are a pretty interesting and very promising band, so I really feel the need to give them some room up here to spread the word and help them making a name by their own, time will tell. Until then: Get and enjoy this one here and I'm looking forward to music from them!!! Cheers & Oi! (8 of 10 points)

(http://www.myspace.com/combate49)

(And here's the download link: http://www.mediafire.com/?4anohotbna5abfi)
Two 'final' announcements: 1.) It sucks a little bit that the Download Link doesn't work automatically, thanx to MySpace that's spoiling this 'automatic-way' somehow, but the link is correct so just copy and then set it into your browser and you will get there to download this demo; 2.) Great, I can announce that an interview with COMBATE 49 will come, it's confirmed and I will work it out the next days and then will get in contact with the band again and then it all will kick off, and that's damn fucking great and "THANX!!!" to COMBATE 49, that's great of you guys!!!