Bull Brigade
Strade smarrite

When I first listened to Bull Brigade, they didn’t blow me away—I couldn’t figure them out. I was expecting something along the lines of Banda del Rione, but their sound was less schematic and more layered, their atmospheres so complex and their choruses relatively less immediate, considering we’re talking about Oi! music. I was left with a sense of half-disappointment. Then, step by step, I came to appreciate them, and today I confess I listen to them much more often than Banda del Rione.

After all, even though I am certainly not a music philologist, I can’t ignore that Bull Brigade also sprang from the ashes of BdR, carrying on their legacy. This is clear in the themes they tackle: Turin is at the center. Turin and the life of its outskirts, Turin and its punk nights, Turin and the rain on the asphalt. Essentially apolitical, Bull Brigade’s aim is to tell the story of angry youngsters with little hope through the emotions that every metalhead, rocker, skinhead (but also plenty of regular people) felt between sixteen and twenty-two years old. It’s an almost ineffable concept: nostalgia, boredom, Weltschmerz, anger, a generic feeling of greatness. Many artists have attempted to convey these and similar emotions, with incredible results: from PFM with "Impressioni di settembre" to Bassi Maestro with "Foto di gruppo", and to be honest, even old school hardcore already showed glimpses of this kind of "sentimentalism." But Bull Brigade take this to its highest punk expression, removing the atemporal aura of works like the aforementioned Forneria (or perhaps making the message atemporal, but in another sense and way) and focusing it specifically on one city: Turin. I sometimes wonder if giving such a role to a city isn’t just a noble pretext to help frame these emotions more clearly. Going back to the previous example, it’s interesting to notice how Bassi Maestro too doesn’t shy away from invoking "la semplice bellezza di Bologna e delle sue serate." But ultimately, this process of processing emotions is something from which few are exempt: from Modena City Ramblers to Colonna Infame Skinhead up to Zerocalcare and Plakkaggio, the city often plays an active role and is not just a background. Is it merely an unconscious way of storytelling? Perhaps; after all, everyone holds a different place in their heart, but there’s nothing wrong with that.

A minute and a half of guitar riffs and "Dopo la pioggia" kicks in. A sealed fate, outbursts with the ultras, the rain and swallows flying away. A masterful bassline. The bar remains high with the one-two punch of "Strade Smarrite" and "Costruito a Torino". Tales of asphalt, concerts, nights out, loves, grudges. Oi!

Then comes "Birra", from BdR, a great song we already know, followed by the catchy "Keep the Faith"—a true Oi! ballad. "Ed ogni notte sembrerà puzzare di noi... Bull Brigade, Torino Oi!" These are stories of nights carved into the heart: "quella degli schiaffi e quella in cui... ti sei perso dentro agli occhi suoi." Even love in the midst of so much brutality. Yet more cursed nights with the beautiful "Dannato Pub," a story of pain and tears drowned in drinking. Eugenio Borra proves himself once again a great songwriter: "ogni rimorso un'altra scusa mi darà, dannato pub!" The album closes with the solid trio "Vendetta," "A way of Life" (with a spot-on chorus), and "Sulla collina," with lyrics that verge on poetry.

The lyrics are fantastic, though the vocabulary is sometimes repetitive (with frequent use of words like "notti," "eroi," "città"...), but all in service of the storytelling. The musicians are well-trained, delivering killer riffs, incredible bass lines, and an urgent drumbeat that supports a perfect, if rough, voice. Bull Brigade would go on to confirm their greatness with "Vita Libertà," even if not quite on the level of "Strade Smarrite", then take a dip with "Il Fuoco non si è spento", still a worthwhile album.

"Strade Smarrite" thus becomes a reference point for Oi!, striking a balance between intellectual references ("e una madre non ti aspetta più") and a strong personality. Few have ever told these kinds of stories so well. Score: 91/100.