Goldblade
Do You Believe In The Power Of Rock n Roll?

I'm under the famous shower when the doorbell rings.
It's the postman: "SIGNATUUUURE REQUIRED!!!" **fuck, still dripping, I dash downstairs and after a swift, quick signature, I find myself in possession of a package containing 2 CDs and a name: GOLDBLADE, "do you believe in the power of rock'n'roll?" ...and they come to ask me of all people...
They hail from Manchester or maybe Liverpool, anyway, they're from the North, usually a good sign, as the most remarkable British bands tend to come from the North of the country; maybe it's the even colder climate or perhaps the more accentuated poverty compared to the South; they're a five-piece band, and according to Kerrang!, they play a kind of adrenaline-infused and genuine glam punk'n'roll.

Well, I'm increasingly intrigued, I can't wait to blast their sound into my ears, to be inspired enough to wreck my living room, throw the TV out of the window in one of my head-banging moments, and pierce my cheeks with a nice safety pin... and yet after the first five seconds of an intro reminiscent of AC/DC, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, etc. (not at all original but at least fun), it descends more and more into the banal, into recalling "Sandinista", which mixes dub with pseudo punk moments, more suited to a soft drink advertisement than waving a flag of life and perhaps of politics.
The tracks are "explained" with a small caption next to the title, like, "Mutha Fukka: pure anger!!"(sic), or "Who Was The Killa: say something! this is no time to be dumb!", as if reading what you're meant to feel while listening to the song could actually make you feel it...
threatening bass lines, "angry" guitars, stadium chants, and a crazy desire to be Joe Strummer, we are punk and we are free, we rebel as per script and live in the crap, duh, hand me the bucket...

The lyrics then, are worthy of the top student for the predictable obsessiveness with which they are repeated: from "Kiss My Ass" (I'll let you imagine...) to "Uranus" (ditto), Goldblade only confirm what we already knew in our hearts, and that is PUNK IS DEAD and if it's not, it's at least in terminal phase. Even if they still believe it, and they keep trying and to prove it, they write it and in the inner sleeve they put photos of how you should dress to be "punk", no detail omitted; in Russia, where the group is "massive" (...), the fans will be eternally grateful...
The only commendable note goes to Goldblade for their speed, the album lasts just over 32 minutes, just enough time to finish the shower, make a coffee, and wonder "Do you believe in the power of rock'n'roll?" – Sometimes I wonder.