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Punk Rock Resurgence

29th Jan 2013

Having always been a punk at heart, January has been a kind month for new releases that I’ve been unusually excited about. Two of my favourite bands of all time, The Bronx and Bad Religion, have bust back onto the scene touting new albums joined by PURE LOVE, the brainchild of Frank Carter of Gallows fame.

There’s a visceral youthfulness to a real punk band that is undeniable, immediate and exciting. For bands like these to work, the music has to not only carry a tune but also a message, a lifestyle, an ideal – there’s more to a punk band than meets the eye, and certainly more than three chords and the truth, so how do these new releases measure up now that they’re a bit older in the tooth? And how does Frank Carter deal with toning it down a notch?

The Bronx hit back with album number four, sticking to convention with the highly appropriately titled IV. There’s a strange middle ground present on this album between side project Mariachi El Bronx and regular Bronx fare, which frankly falls just wide of the mark of what both of these highly individual bands are capable of. As per usual, when The Bronx are on fire on this release they’re an inferno – a juggernaut of punk’n’roll that swaggers with a heady concoction of riffs, balls and attitude as on the raucous chorus of Youth Wasted. Tracks like Torches are an interesting departure but fail to ignite and Life Less Ordinary really does feel out of place here. While blurring the lines between their two projects The Bronx have somewhat diluted the essence of what makes both bands great, but there’s no denying that when everything connects this band are still capable of writing a belter.

Stream Ribcage here:

Bad Religion meanwhile are 30 years into their career and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to be critical about a band who are most definitely in the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” camp. 16 studio albums in and True North isn’t exactly carrying any surprises, but Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz are undoubtedly still at the songwriting helm and manage to navigate a hefty percentage of the songs on this album into safe territory. There are a few off the cuff, through the motions tracks here but the band truly shine on Hello Cruel World which lurches threateningly and relentlessly forward in a melancholic plea and the spitting punk chops of Fuck You ramp up the pace. The subject matter remains the same and save for a slightly more retro sound and return to straight 4/4 punk rock, this is another sturdy release from the veterans. Hardcore fans will find a few new live favourites and newcomers should still find plenty of hooks to grab onto, but some of the vitriol and vigour has definitely ebbed over time – maybe something that Graffin exorcises in his solo acoustic side project.

Stream Fuck You here:

Last but not least, PURE LOVE has been Frank Carter’s one man mission to revamp his image and sound and we’re happy to say he’s made a complete success story of this band and the suitably titled new release Anthems. After catching them live last year and being bowled over by his humility and belief in the new material and the obvious kinship between Carter and bandmate Jim Carroll, this is an album packed full of anthemic grass roots rock that beats with a pure heart and a fist in the air. In his own words, Carter grew “sick of singing about hate” in his last band Gallows and has made a conscious effort to embrace positivity and the major key on this release. Stand out tracks are surprisingly difficult to choose, not least because the integrity of the song writing is so sound, though Handsome Devils Club, Burning Love and Riot Song have all become office favourites this week. Far from a one dimensional punk band, PURE LOVE leaves you wondering just quite where Carter and Carroll can go next – an exciting prospect for future releases.

Stream Bury My Bones here: