The Real McKenzies - Off The Leash
Canadian punksters The Real McKenzies release their latest album “Off the Leash” continuing where they left off with their previous releases “10,000 Shots”, “Loch’d & Loaded” and “Oot & Aboot”. As you may have noticed from the previous album titles there is a very strong Scottish connection with this Vancouver based seven piece. Where bands like Dropkick Murphys play a blend of punk and Irish music, The Real McKenzies play their brand of punk and traditional Scottish music, bagpipes and all.
Right from the opening track, “Chip”, intro you know exactly what you are in for with this album, guitar, drums and bagpipe immediately grab you with their fast energetic feel and once the bass and Paul McKenzie’s gravely vocals join in it never lets go. “Chip” is a great foot tapping music and a great opener too.
This continues straight into the second track “The Lads Who Fought and Won” but changes slightly come the third track “The Ballad of Greyfriars Bobby” when some Scottish influence other than the bagpipes show themselves in the form of Ceilidh dancing albeit a very fast form of Ceilidh dancing!
With the next three tracks “Kings of Fire”, “Old Becomes New” and “White Knuckle Ride” there is a danger that the album may get a bit samey as they all do tend to follow the same pattern, think Green Day with pipes and you are halfway there to getting a feel for them. Thankfully this is not the case as soon as “The Maple Trees Remember” starts you are transformed from punk to more nearer country music, definitely not the same style. “Anyone Else” is back to the punk but faster paced complete with killer guitar riffs at the start.
Following the impressive “My Mangy Hound” and “Too Many Fingers” comes the slow paced drinking song, “Drink Some More”, that no self respecting Scottish punk album is complete without. The penultimate track “Guy on Stage” sees the bagpipes replaced by a violin in a relaxed tune. The album gets wrapped up perfectly with “Culling the Herd” an angry, aggressive finish to this infectious thirteen track album.
The Real McKenzies may not be as big a name as some other bands but if you are a fan of your Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly’s of the music world then this band is for you.