Sharp and bright punk rock.
After the band’s great 4th album last year, ‘Rocket To Riot City’, the band follow it up with an even better 5th album in ‘Razor Wires And Neon Lights. This Hungarian three-piece really stick their fingers up at those that think that all decent Punk bands come from either America or UK, and mixing up Street Punk with comparisons to the likes of The Ramones and Green Day is sure to be a successful mix!
The first song is, ‘Wave Of Bankruptcy’ which is a great fast-paced and high-octane Punk rock song. It has everything that you want for a big balls catchy Punk anthem. The next song, ‘Agony Bay’ is a little more like Australian Punk band The Living End, in the plod-along mid-tempo Punk rock, packed with chugging riffs and pumping beats.
In the last review of the band I mentioned that the band’s only real negative side is that they draw on many influences and therefore each song sounds a little like other bands, again with this album this is the case, but it can be a positive too. ‘Parallel Worlds’ is a mixture of The Clash and Green Day, however lyrically Bankrupt tend to lean more towards a more political stance, with this one being about frustrations of an East-West divide in their homeland decades after Communism was eradicated in Europe. They then sing about the Hungarian train strike of Christmas 2008 in the song, ‘Lonesome Trains’ that is another fast-paced Punk song a little like The Briggs.
‘No Surrender’ is slightly more melodic and therefore leaning more towards Pop/Punk. It’s also the closest to the songs on the band’s previous album with their harmonies, and the distinctive accented voice of Rocco, the band’s vocalist and bassist. Last song, ‘Independent Girl’ is a re-recorded version that first appeared on the band’s debut album, 2000’s ‘Listen’.
With each album the band go from strength to strength, and I was a little worried as to whether the band were able to top the last album, however here in, ‘Razor Wires And Neon Lights’, they have a more raw Punk edge, with a stronger sound that despite the heavy influences can see the band slowly rounding out their own sound. This album is again only 6 songs long, with the previous album being 5 songs, and I wonder when the band will draw on the high points from the album back catalogue in order to produce a fantastic full length album. They have the tools. They have the skills. It’s just a matter of time. There are no low points on this album, just a feeling that with a little push they could be perfect.
There have been some great Punk albums so far this year, and whilst I cannot say that this is the best, it is certainly up there with the likes of the new albums from Left Alone and Rancid, and considering the size of those bands then that is no mean feat. Great stuff!