God save the Goldblade!
Now Punk Rock from Manchester is not something that I would consider synonymous, however it’s a real treat to hear ‘Mutiny’ the new album from Goldblade riding high on the new wave of Punk Rock that appears to have been revived over the past few years with the likes of Guns On The Roof, Strawberry Blondes and The Dead Pets.
What we get are a bunch Punk anthems ejaculating out of your speakers with no apologies, smashing down your walls and abusing your pets, whilst leaving you knackered, satisfied and spent. Right from the first song, ‘Jukebox Generation’ you feel that speeded up Rock’n’Roll influence of classic Street Punk warming the cockles of all sea-fairing and scurvy ridden pirate punks from every port around the globe. ‘Riot! Riot!’ is another fine example of how the tunes are sing-along classics, and could be pillaged for use on the football terraces as the crowds shout back, “Riot! Riot! We’re going to riot tonight!”
Now what Goldblade do well is bridge the gap between bands like Strawberry Blondes, Rancid, Time Again and The Briggs with Flogging Molly, The Real McKenzies and Dropkick Murphys, with their swashbuckling Punk, and this is never more evident than in the album title track, ‘Mutiny’ which is a real gem and as catchy genital warts from a rancid wench. It’s so good that we get the acoustic version as an extra at the end, which doesn’t lose any of it’s balls and shine with the gang chants in the chorus, and chugging guitars being replaced with a banjo.
The band then suggest that, ‘Everybody’s On Drugs’ with the song of the same name, whilst we have catchy riffs that sound like classic Ramones on ‘ City Of Ghosts’ before the verses cool down with a more Surf-Rock groove, mixing up flashes of Rockabilly with John Robb’s rasping vocals.
One thing that I think is missing on a lot of Punk rock songs is the inclusion of farmyard animals, and don’t worry folks, Goldblade don’t disappoint as the slightly abstract sound of a cockerel opens the song, ‘Do The Neo Con’ that sees the band mix up some early Punk and finish with the squealing of a happily alive slab of bacon.
‘America Destroys All It’s Heroes’ is a song with an obvious but poignant message, and we only have to look at the likes of Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain, PeeWee Herman, and Anna Nicole Smith to understand the impact of the words - although Goldblade focus more on the demise of John Lennon, JFK and Elvis. Next is ‘Kids Of Today’ that have more than a passing resemblance to US Bombs, whilst they are back on form with the catchy song, that tries to answer one of those questions that is on everyone’s lips, ‘Where have The Rude Boys Gone?’. It’s another fine example of the gang sing-along vocals that make them just a little bit special!
There is an injection of straight up Punk in, ‘D.I.Y.’, whilst we have a real kaleidoscopic musical mix in, ‘Riot Squad For Riot City FC’ that has deep Rock-a-billy Punk riffs played at a fast tempo, with a verse that is a little Johnny Lydon in his Public Image Ltd guise, with some Street Punk thrown in to keep things hard and anarchic; and there’s even the famous commentary of England’s 1966 triumph for good measure. Then we have ‘Wake Up! Wake Up! You’re Already Dead!” which starts off Punk, but then quite spectacularly turns Heavy Metal with chugging Metal guitars and chanting of, “Rock! Rock! Rock’n’Roll army!” great stuff.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve not come across these guys before having already released more than a knuckle full of albums in just over 12 years. Blighty is finally taking back their crown for Punk rock, and this year alone has seen Guns On The Roof release a great album, but this one tips the balance at being slightly better. Then following on from Strawberry Blondes album ‘Rise Up’ from last year, and The Briggs’s album ‘Back To Higher Ground’ in 2006, this is arguably the best Punk album this year!