("Pirates Press Records" & "Contra Records"; CD):
Yes, here it is, another album that I had been waiting for also for quite a while now already. (Like it was also the case with the three directly before this very one here reviewed albums up here on this very blog, to name BIOHAZARD, RUNNING WILD and BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, just that you know it if you haven't already read or even at least saw the reviews, even it was always a little bit different from each other with this by me long awaited albums.) The first full length album of the HARRINGTON SAINTS, released back then in 2010 also as a cooperation work between the U.S. american "PIRATES PRESS RECORDS" and the german "CONTRA RECORDS" labels, was a fucking great statement and made it directly into my top ten album list of 2010, scored in there at the position rank no. # eight. Then, at least I do think so, in 2011 they released some 7'' albums or some split stuff or something so like this, but due to the fucked up mess named 2011 that I was heavily and deeply stucked into I really should never ever be able to listen to any 2011 release of them, of the HARRINGTON SAINTS, so far and also don't know the whole picture, so this is, if you want so, my first experience again with this great band in two years. And so I was also comparable like in the cases of the three albums reviewed directly before this very one here, already mentioned above in this review, damn excited and curious about it. Then this very June at my birthday this was one of the birthday presents/gifts that my beloved girlfriend held in store for me and from then on, yes, again the HARRINGTON SAINTS managed to take me by storm, yes, and this also directly and right from the very start. Personally for me pretty much one of the few very, very best currently active Oi! in general and American Oi! in particular bands outta there, point and fact. Also one of the few very best bands outta there in general, no matter if Oi! or what the hell else ever. Some (wouldn't make me wonder if not mostly self-proclaimed) Oi! hard knocks may bitch around this would be more Streetpunk than Oi! because it would be too melodic, catchy, anthemic and so with this too ''soft'' and not enough street level music like or what the fuck else ever enough and also because of the fact that the HARRINGTON SAINTS stayed true to a critical working class somewhat left winged political approach and a pro union standpoint instead of doing bullshit "Love your land and wave your flag!" - and then shut up - lyrics they won't earn more points in the books of this tough Oi! hard knocks. But you know what? Just don't give a fuck about this dumb crappy dickheads and false poor nutjobs, period. And so now here we go forth onward in this very review, so yes, here we fucking go, righty right. The HARRINGTON SAINTS play a very stand-alone and self-contained sort of melodic, catchy and anthemic/hymnal U.S. American Oi! Oi! Oi! music that includes a pretty strong own identity and a unique character as well as a big assortment of great musical diversity and a strong skillful level of delivery of the gladiatorial and fists in the air pumping music, all founded in grapping and really forceful storming nicely varying and more than only well-versed songwriting. They play a sort of American Oi! or maybe U.S. Oi! if you may want so of their very own but maybe you can locate them loosely somewhere between PATRIOT to their "WE, THE PEOPLE" phase, PRESSURE POINT to their "RESIST & RIOT" and maybe also their "TO BE CONTINUED" era and a little bit THE ANTI-HEROS back then in their "AMERICAN PIE" days as well as some very few MADHOUSE DISCIPLES (thinking of their split album with PRESSURE POINT), and then add some good healthy doses of the good old legendary THE CLASH (thinking about "BLACK MARKET CLASH", "LONDON CALLING" and a little bit of "COMBAT ROCK") to it, mixed all through and melted together with spicy flavor of a very own and strong identity and character for the cultivation and crowning of it all. Hard yet damn melodic and catchy ''singing'' and also pretty advanced or maybe better skillful guitar work, that's really driving the songs mercylessly forward without regrets and without remorse, is the keystone of this album, combined with the brilliant and damn charismatic lead vocals that are really sung and not shouted, and this damn much stand-alone and with a real unique character of their very own. The massive and stunning, heavy stomping rhythm section is a pure slashing and smashing bomb, not to talk about the great back ups and mighty sing a longs. The pace and the arrangements of the songs vary nicely and the songs crush that mighty in and through it all that you just have to sing a long, dance fucking hard and go bloody rampage to. Amazing!!! It's quite a while now that a new Oi! album made me feel that much and massive energy in a positive sense and way than this very one here, the new HARRINGTON SAINTS album, the "PRIDE & TRADITION" masterpiece. Also lyrical they deliver the whole and complete package, again, from Skinhead Way of Life lyrics to a lot of socially aware, political and critical on the farce the ruling system that we are all forced to live in is lyrics, and especially the songs of the second kind are just great. Yes, for sure the lyrics are kept short, like the songs, in two and something minutes or so, so don't expect a new Shakespeare or somewhat like this, but why the fuck should you and this especially when you think about how great they have done the/their lyrics and that are also it all saying and telling lyrics, yes, that's what you can expect anyhow because that's what we get here by the HARRINGTON SAINTS. Great!!! The artwork of this beautiful CD is just pure eye candy and I'm very sorry that the scan of the cover and backcover art above isn't a better one (again, like back then in 2010, the scan of the cover picture of the reviewed HARRINGTON SAINTS album isn't that good after all, maybe with their third album we'll - and in this case ''we'' stands for my technical equipment and me - be able to fix this finally...), and the bombing daman precise and ''massively'' tight yet nicely dirty production sound is just a sort of a pure platinum affair, thumbs damn way up high for that. A pure platinum affair like the whole album, which now means like the music, the lyrics and the artwork. So, yes, what shall I write here more, what shall I write here on and on, this is a amazing album that will be also to be found in my this years top ten 2012 album list. This is just an awesome great album, so don't think twice but just get it. Brilliant!!! Cheers & Oi! (10 of 10 points)
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In my oppinion this is getting down on the knees and sucking a line of dicks but in Oi! format. Soft, candycoated PC-Oi! with some of the worst lyrics since Patriots first album (but atleast that one sounded good). Look for this in my "Worst album of the year" section come newyear ;)
AntwortenLöschenHm, "soft"? Maybe... but at least they can play and that's sadly enough by far more than you can ask for of most of todays Oi! bands outta there. One of the best done stuff in Oi! that I've listened to for some years, not that typical "Hey, we just can hardly play and what songwriting is we have not a single idea about, but at least we look tough, wear steelcap boots and shave our heads, and that matters most." bullshit ''tough'' guy Oi! of today, hm, btw, so every questions why Oi! lost so much of its once importance to me are answered as well. It's sadly enough today at least currently musically too unattractive to me. PC? Left winged with a union background, and absolutely no problems with that, but PC? Pretty much anti-establishment and more than this so in my book anything but PC. And thankfully not another stupid "Love your land!" blind patriotic band consisting of guys with bald heads singing about or against stuff they can't even spell in a proper way. Bad lyrics? Short and to the point, all good and fine. If I want more political input on a higher literature level I grab good old Karl from the shelf, haha ;-) . So all in all finally a Oi! record that grabbed me again in a impressive way, and for that I can only thank them. Guess ''the saints are coming'' or so, haha :-) .
AntwortenLöschenSo I guess it's another good proof that it's good that tastes are different, haha ;-) !!! Cheers man!!!
- Manslaughter Andy
Respect your view and not trying to change it (god knows im happy we all dont like the same things).
LöschenA "white" Oi! band writing songs about the white man on a hill looking down on the ghetto is as PC and confuced as one can get to me. Cant they leave the "blame it on the white guy" to the hisp and black bands? It's just a wierd self-hate that i cant understand.
Okay, also not trying to change your views. Hell no, because why ever, right?!? So it's all good and fine.
AntwortenLöschenThe point here is, that I see no self-hate. At least if we talk about their song "A Nation Divided". Saying that the upper class or, if you want so, ruling class in western countries and societies is white is basically right. If you say that (at least the very most of) this fat rich ass bastards don't care about and look down on the lower and exploited class, I think that's also right. And they say that this "white guys" look down on the ghetto, what's pretty right in most cases, but they say nothing about the ''colour of the ghetto'', not at least because I think they know pretty well that today the ghetto isn't black or yellow or red or brown or white, it's all of this, mixed up through and through. More I don't see in this song.
It's pretty much some sort of a foretaste of the Occupy scenery with it's critizism of the so called "1%". May agree on it or not, but any racial stuff and self hate I really can't see here. I just see a criticism of the economic and political system we live in.
If they would label the ghetto with any color, then I would maybe agree. Not at least because racial self hate is something I just can't understand. As well as I can't understand anyone taking pride in something that accidentially like the color of his/her skin.
But anyhow, after all it's just music, I guess, haha :-) !!!
Yes, I think I see it, but I still see no problem with it after all.
LöschenBeacuse: Critizism on a fucked up mess like the capitalist world system latest over the last decade used to become is always justified and needed, and should be done by far more especially in crisis days like ours and also especially by a culture and music that's (these days at least self proclaimed) somehow a working class one. And, like I've said, after "in our western world" it's still a very mostly by whites and especially also by "the white man" and not by the "white woman" a.k.a. white men not white women dominated one it's justififed and needed also to do it with this view, because it's true. So when "the opressor" is "white", then name/call him so, for sure. It's like: Name the bastards that drove the car against the wall and call them directly by their names. Put the blame where it belongs. No matter if black, white, yellow, brown, red, blue or green. If it's to be named white, than name it white.
Even I would heavily doubt, that without any questions black men are the "leading force" in rape and robbery (social studies may put it in a different light), but okay, say it maybe is so: Then it would also be okay if they or any other band would do songs about this topic, it would also be justififed and it all. Of course.
As well as it would also be okay and justified and all of this if they would do songs about white police men shooting young black kids because they feel threatend by them just because this kids wear hooded sweatshirts at night.
But maybe the downward spiral we all are in, especially here in the west with the ongoing decline of the capitalist system and the effects of it on all of us (of the "normal citizens"), and that heavily hit the U.S. at first, was for them also in their private daily lifes more important and with this also higher/more present on their working schedule for their songs and records than maybe personally for them pretty far away and maybe respectively pretty sure just percepted "black rapists running amok".
It's not a thing of "white guilt" or "white blame", just the stiff middle finger in the face of a corrupt fucked up system, that would also deserve even far more. And yes, it's mostly a "white system", so it's all good and fine to name it so, and it's even more all good and fine if a "white band" does so, Oi! or what the hell else ever.
That's how I see it. If you want so my perception.
By the way, the only thing that gives me a little headache about the lyrics of the mentioned song is the use of the term "ghetto", from a let us say "german standpoint", because there was a more "intense meaning" of a specific "german kind" given to it in the past so that I can't really rely to it in the case of this song and its topic. But that's another thing that's not really of importance here...
So okay, after all, again, I guess it's just music that provokes the listeners and that breds different perceptions in each one. And so I guess I'm happy especially about the fact that finally a Oi! band does so again, haha :D !!!
Cheers!!! :-)