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Rating: Twenty years of career and not a single misstep? That's Lou Koller and company for you. Coexisting in the '90s with bands like Offspring and Green Day without feeling their influence at all? That's Lou Koller and company. Still being a leading HC band two decades after their inception? Always their thing.
What does all this mean? The myriad of punk bands and their similar adolescent sound can go to hell, the real kick-ass music resides here in NY. That's what it means.
After the compilation "Outtakes For The Outcast" and leaving Fat Mike's label for Abacus Recordings, the New Yorkers absolutely do not disappoint expectations, continuing to follow a style maintained for so many years; reviewing an album of this kind, I would say, goes beyond the simple "track by track," in my opinion, it would almost be an insult to such a magnificent work as this, it's an album to let play from the first to the last roar: 30 minutes of granite hardcore, the animalistic screams of Lou ruling supreme, beautifully accompanied and joined with the sonic wall created by his brother Pete on guitar, Craig Setari (ex Agnostic Front) on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. Anger and hatred blatantly ooze from the song lyrics, protests against government and politicians, "Always War" and "Uprising Nation" above all: what do you expect, when there is shouting against Bush and his damn wars, truly excellent albums emerge. The desperate "Die Alone" and "Leader" are beautiful, truly amazing: they end after a little over a minute, and you ask yourself: am I really dealing with forty-year-olds here, or with young wild beasts in their early twenties at the beginning of their careers?
Other noteworthy tracks on this album are "Forked Tongue" where Freddy Cricien, leader of other NYHC sacred monsters, Madball, makes an appearance, and "Fred Army" which concludes with a military march. And damn, mentioning some tracks doesn't mean there are some that stand out over others, they are all so well held together and compact that making names and distinctions seems really pointless, as I find it limiting to listen to tracks here and there randomly: believe me, the best experience is obtained by listening to the entire album.
There is no moment of pause for the eardrums, the album flows wonderfully and ends speeding just as it started. And when your ears finally find peace, you find yourself thinking: this is HARDCORE damn it! And it almost leaves a bitter taste for that scarce half-hour that set you ablaze.
But as we know, the best hardcore albums are the ones that leave in a flash... a moment full of fury and delirium.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Take the Night Off (02:44)
Brutal - the big picture is so cruel to us
and everyone's life is such a tiny speck
Some of the worst atrocities can pass, fifty miles away to no effect
Power, power
has always been abused
work,debt, poverty, taxes
life's oppressive rules
Power, power
just might never change
No answers will come from our bloodthirsty ways
Let's take the night off from mental stress
let's take the night off - this world's a mess
Captive - held captive by our hopes and dreams
Our best intentions can destroy us
We shouldn't grind ourselves away
Take a break, we need to maintain
Power, power
has always been abused
work,debt, poverty, taxes
life's oppressive rules
Power, power
just might never change
No answers will come from our bloodthirsty ways
Commiserating has run it's course
We'll save the world tomorrow
We'll have to wait until that day
We'll wait, we'll wait
but in the meantime
Let's celebrate the we don't give a fuck
Let's celebrate that we don't care
Let's celebrate that we don't give a fuck
With a middle finger high in the air
Let's celebrate that we don't give a fuck
Take the night off, pass the buck
08 Leader (01:15)
further. whatever gets me
higher. whatever gets me
richer. whatever gets me
all of the power i need
clawing. pushing. ceating. stealing. using?
it doesn't bother me
see it. want it. grab it. hold it. never let go and
it doesn't bother me
dirty fighting. openly lying. always conniving
it doesn't bother me
callous. brutal. barely human. cold and cruel and
it doesn't bother me
i am your leader
i am your leader
i can't wipe the smile from my face because you trust me
i can't wipe the smile from my face - i'm sure you envy your leader
no mercy. no pity. no sympathy
i've got what it takes
i've got your life and i've got your fuckin' money
09 Make a Mark (03:13)
it's so hard to make a mark when you wash away
it's so hard to be remembered when you've got nothing to say
how could there be influence with quality in short supply?
forced to watch this impotence. a dozen for a dime
when the frauds are on the rise we wanna see them fall
when the frauds are flying high we wanna see them crawl
never did pay any dues - they've got a lot to learn
when they come down with a crash we wanna see them burn
how can we deeply moved by their shallow words?
the message is expendable. cheap and mass produced
how could there be influence with quality in short supply?
forced to watch this impotence. a dozen for a dime
better enjoy success. cause it won't last
that kind of ego is just good for a laugh
the money machine will make it grow
will hit a nerve and make it gold
if they have it to jam it down
jam it down your throat
jam it down your throat
it's so hard to make a mark
jam it down your throat
it's so hard to make a mark
jam it down your throat
till it succeeds
where they do come from
what do they mean
some random kids from some random scene
what do they stand for
what do they mean
what are they saying
nothing. nothing
10 Forked Tongue (01:34)
bent on hatred - silence the forked tongue
it won't change us - we're proud to be infidels
you have no room to judge - malevolent spirit
when your world is dripping with blood
a stranger to love
bent on hatred - silence the forked tongue
it won't change us - we're proud to be infidels
when death means more than life - ignorant martyr
then fantasy has taken the place of a righteous change
righteous change
what does it take to reason with insanity
what does it take to pacify the savagery
the forked tongue. spitting all it's venom at me
what does it take to wipe away the misery
what does it take. what does it take
the dark ages are upon us again
what does it take. what does it take
the forked tongue must be silenced
give us freedom from the demons
demons
12 Faithless (02:55)
don't count on government for your security
don't count on any neighbour for their camaraderie
forget it. forget about
the sense of ease you would wish for most
all the two-faced lies forming in their wicked throats
oh. to break all the wicked molds
formed in human life. by which we're surrounded
faithless
never underestimate stupidity of man
get in the way - of his wretched plans
never underestimate stupidity of man
get in the way - of his wretched aftermath
don't count on government for your security
don't count on any neighbour for their camaraderie
they are flawed
trust is a mistake
even decent men mess what's on their plate
subject to the urge
written all over their face
fallen decent men. victims of their nature
faithless
the movers and shakers
have me moving far away
the movers and shakers
have me shaking my head
never underestimate stupidity of man
get in the way - of his wretched plans
never underestimate stupidity of man
get in the way - of his wretched aftermath
don't count on government for your security
don't count on any neighbour for their camaraderie
comfort. friendship
let them not be lost
13 Fred Army (02:45)
left. right. left
gonna march right out and leave this place
left. right. left
gonna punch right through what gets in the way
left. right. left
gonna do whatever we have to do
left. right. left
gonna march right out into the free world
desperate. and cornered like a rat
things are getting ugly really fast
their intentions are the worst
let's brace ourselves and hit them where it hurts
freedom is right there in our sights
conscience. we have to put aside
their intentions are the worst
we won't stop until we break through
left. right. left
gonna march right out and leave this place
left. right. left
gonna punch right through what gets in the way
left. right. left
gonna do whatever we have to do
left. right. left
gonna march right out into the free world
and we won't stop 'till we break through
we're given no choice
so let the chips fall where they may
and let these matters be settled this way
we'll let our judgement get carried away
carried so far to a terrible place
a place that wrecks and shatters our dreams
and changes life as we know it
into the life we have to live
left. right. left
gonna march right out and leave this place
left. right. left
gonna punch right through what gets in the way
left. right. left
gonna do whatever we have to do
left. right. left
gonna march right out into the free world
and we won't stop 'till we break through
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