In today's world, "Nazi Punk" may seem like an oxymoron, but historically, Punk and the far-right were strange bedfellows. Racist Punk can arguably be traced back to as early as 1977, with the birth of Punk subculture in England. Young National Front started Punk Front in Leeds, growing from a mere zine to a movement which developed a strong following. The front-runners for Punk Front were The Dentists, White Boss, Homicide, The Ventz (later Tragic Minds) and The Raw Boys, playing the first Rock Against Communism (RAC) shows the National Front organized, which took place in 1979. Although none of the bands ever recorded music, they drew a strong, devoted presence dedicated to fighting the far-left. Punk Front discontinued its activities, but RAC was just beginning to gain momentum.
As left-wingers gradually pushed right-wingers out of Punk subculture, the National Front canvassed skinhead subculture to carry the torch of the far-right's counterculture, with Oi! forging a unifying identity. Although never affiliated with any right-wing organization, bands like Combat 84 laid the groundwork for young right-wingers seeking rock 'n' roll as a vehicle of resistance, with lyrics advocating capital punishment and opposing nuclear disarmament. By 1982, the National Front successfully recruited even more followers than before and organized their first concert in Stratford, East London.
Before Skrewdriver rose to prominence, Ovaltinees, Peter & the Wolf and Die Hards formed as vehicles for nationalism. In 1982, Ovaltinees would release what can be considered RAC's first publicly released recording, an EP called "British Justice." Years later, Skrewdriver would reform with a new line-up and would begin their career as RAC's most identifiable band.
Since Ian Stuart's death, RAC has undergone several genre shifts and is now used as an umbrella term for any far-right, Third Position or Nationalist Skinhead music. Originally, RAC was a mix of Hard Rock and Punk/Hardcore/Oi!. Older bands tend to be Hard Rock or Oi!/Punk whereas newer bands tend to be more oriented towards Hardcore or Metal. The music tends to be upbeat, anthemic rock with a hard edge - there are usually gruff vocals mixed with chanted/sung choruses. There are often prominent melodies which can be folksy and/or triumphant, but is most often manifested through ballads and chanted choruses.
As you would surmise, RAC is distinctly anti-liberal and especially anti-left. Many bands are against Communism not only for economic reasons, but also for the humanism and liberal aspects of socialism. The irrelevance of race and/or nation in socialism is the salient point they're against in all their anti-left rhetoric. Consequently, most bands are explicitly White Nationalist despite the scene spanning the globe with musicians hailing from across the Anglosphere, the Americas and Europe.
Early on, RAC was strictly about British Nationalism. There's more than a fair number of '80s RAC bands that weren't necessarily Nazi and some never were in the course of their careers. As time went on, bands became much more openly Nazi, especially with Skrewdriver's later albums becoming more obvious in their references to the Third Reich and Norse Neopaganism.
Thomas James
Awww yeah! Looking forward to this.
From the very start, far right groups had tried to make their way into the punk scene like the National Front and their (silly) Punk Front zine, but it wasn’t until the development of Oi! and its skinhead fan base that such organisations had a true force they could mobilise. The NF promoted neo-Nazi Oi! bands such as Skrewdriver and this spawned the Rock Against Communism (or RAC) movement in proper. The ‘British Justice’ EP actually predates any ‘political’ releases by Skrewdriver, making it one of the earliest known RAC records of all time. It must be the only thing ever that’s dedicated to both Adolf Hitler and Splodgenessabounds (alongside ‘all groupies’ and ‘Nigger & Chris’).
I think there's a part in all of us that wants to be massively ignorant and reactionary at times - and that's why this kind of stuff is so bloody appealing! I can relate to the lyrics too, my nice white daughter became a disco whore and repeatedly listening to this was part of the therapy I had to go through to cope with the grief. I'm nearly there.
But really this is more appealing in terms of the aesthetic (I use that word in every review now and the Ovaltinees would kick me in the bollocks if I uttered it in their presence) than in terms of the songwriting. At times it seems like they're putting the message before the music, but "Argentina" will make Sean Penn cry when he hears it and the thought of that... keeps me alive. youtu.be/24_v9v50nQ0 youtu.be/nCmVuMHsdcg
Now here's an enigma. In the world of the internet, you'd think bands whoever released anything would at least have at least a decent account of their existence. In the case of Final Offensive, absolutely no information about them exists aside from a 7-track demo purportedly released in 1982. Not even Eddie Stampton's massive tome "The White Nationalist Skinhead Movement" mentions them. Aside from the demo cassette, they would later be featured on a French cassette compilation in 1998.
Final Offensive aren't as quaint as that description would suggest. These are the croaking goblinoid shaven heads in a damp dark basement, angry and probably hungry, hacking out punk rock so crude and cruddy it makes The Last Resort look like Camel. The kind shown in Trevor Griffith’s TV play ‘Oi for England’, which you should check out if you haven’t already.
Final Offensive are having a say but not necessarily having a laugh. The lyrics of "Rally" call for the "Aryan race" to rebel against a Jewish threat (we’ve all heard that one before) and their general right wing paranoia makes this probably the first RAC release presuming this was circulated before "British Justice" by the Ovaltinees and Skrewdriver’s "White Power" in 1983.
The tunes themselves are actually very good, there’s obviously not an Ian Stuart among these fellas but as proved by "Voice of the Young" and particularly "Final Offensive" they do what they do well. "Whose Justice" is a complete rip-off of "Johnny Barden" by the aforementioned Last Resort, so I wonder what the story is there.
The shit-fi murky recording is primarily what adds the atmosphere though at the same time the smudgy bass and muffled vocals do somewhat hamper the performances, making it a pity that Final Offensive never went into the studio and seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. Mysterious. youtu.be/glVpqNcAfrI youtu.be/76ZvmcqNpEI
Jason Howard
Hailing from Gillingham in Kent, Peter & The Wolf were one of the original RAC bands in the White Noise Records circuit. Originally apolitical, Peter & The Wolf shifted their songwriting towards nationalism after recruiting Mark Taylor on vocals, who subsequently wrote politically-oriented songs like "Livingstone" and "Raped." "Livingstone" focused on "Red Ken", the leader of the Greater London Council while "Raped" lyricized about the account of a six-year-old raped by a South Asian in Yorkshire who only served 27 days in prison for his defilement of a prepubescent girl.
Apparently recorded in the kitchen at one of the band member's home, Peter & the Wolf's brand of Oi! is crude and made cruder by low sound quality but this is still an interesting, albeit minor, piece of skinhead history. The vocals are largely unintelligible - I wouldn't have minded hearing what they had to say about Crass in the title track - but there is something cool about their basement rawness. This works rather nicely as a companion piece to Final Offensive's demo.
The Summer of 1981 saw the rebirth of Skrewdriver. Concerned by the rising political tensions, Ian Stuart announced Skrewdriver would now be a patriotic band. After several line-up changes, Skrewdriver would stabilize and release the legendary "Back with a Bang", marking the change from non-political to political.
"Back With a Bang" is quite possibly greatest Oi! song ever, and that's out of some stiff competition. All of the passion, integrity and intensity that defines Oi! as a music genre and as a movement is encapsulated in these exhilarating three minutes. Everything just soars from start to finish, from the vocals of Ian Stuart - delivered with furious abandon, as though through gritted teeth - to the infectious guitar solo. Skrewdriver's extremist political inclinations, which were beginning to reveal themselves around the time this single hit the shelves, have ostracized them from the scene and subculture that they defined but nothing should take away from the fact that some of the ultimate skinhead anthems were theirs. Simply anyone who likes anthemic punk rock owes it to themselves to hear this. youtu.be/kFj-rkoctAw youtu.be/mhxZDXWWnWs youtu.be/c1LSUFN78JE
I have a soft spot for drinking listening to RAC but the musicians needed to take themselves less seriously. Some of the songs still make me laugh after 15 years.
Fronted by Liam Walsh, London Branch was a typical band of RAC’s "golden age", but since their only release was this demo, they haven’t exactly been remembered in the same way as Skrewdriver and Brutal Attack. After enough cancelled gigs, blacklistings from venues and arrests, London Branch came to an abrupt end at the end of 1983.
Lyrically they’re authoritarian to the max, it’s like Combat 84’s confrontational "Rapist" EP on steroids. Is it the spirit of Punk Rock to spout racial epithets and celebrate public executions, colonialism and nuclear armament? For these blokes, it is. That’s not to say that this isn’t good though, the vocals bring the rage and while the heavy guitar sound they were going for is dampened by the raw sound quality there are some good classic Oi! style riffs to be found.
Definitely some menacing and intimidating stuff, if any of these "Peace Punks" caught wind they’d be running to fetch some clean knickers.
Woolwich-based skinheads The Die-Hards came on the scene at the start of 1983. After recording a demo and a live gig, the band underwent several line-up changes before appearing on two compilations: the National Front plugged "This Is White Noise" and Ian Stuart's own "No Surrender" from Rock-O-Rama Records. youtu.be/HCBy-JD31FQ youtu.be/_YKMfGInwDQ
"White Working Class Man" is a mournful, downtempo tune agonizing over the pains of the British underclass.
Go to work every day Working hard for an honest week’s pay Wife and kids ain’t got enough Problems in my head and I’m feeling rough
Got to work to earn our keep They fuck us about it’s a dog with a sheep Life with no legend, life with no fun We must keep our pace it’s got to be done
Day by day passes by Always wary of the peering eye Superstition grinds through my head Boiling over and going red
It’s getting hot I can’t take no more I feel myself hitting the floor Hot Gossip people think they’re cool Nice big boat and a swimming pool
Spoil yourself by being rich We’re left rotting in a ditch The road to freedom, it’s so long I need the money can’t get along
Forget the sorrow and keep our pride There is a future for our fighting lives
The band would then record another mournful tune entitled "Vengeance", dedicated to their murdered comrade Peter "Geordie" Mathewson.
Avenge the death of one of our warriors Avenge the death of him today And that’s why we are gonna stay and fight to the death tonight
He was in pain was it in vain For the crime are they gonna pay Some may say he was insane Some may say it was in vain
Take revenge is our game To kill the scum is our aim
Europe what have they got to do to make you come alive What has happened to the heritage that once was yours and mine A capitalistic economy, the communists roam the streets The old people aren't safe outside, what solution do we seek
Chorus: Europe awake, for the White man's sake Europe awake before it's too late Europe awake now
We've got to get together soon, and take our nations back The race board, and the traitorous politicians should be sacked You can't turn on the tv because we know what we're going to see Either moaning immigrants, or the lying C. N. D.
(Repeat Chorus)
We've got to get together now, and wage our nation's fights If we don't act quickly, we're going to face the endless night We've got to take our nations back, from all the traitorous scum You'd better believe it, our day will soon have to come
written in 1983 and still relevant.
Owen James
youre right i think this stuff is central to culture and politics, it should be done with a hint of irony and humor for contemporary times
Of all the bands associated with the original RAC movement, Indecent Exposure were probably the ones with their feet placed most firmly in the traditional Oi! camp. Originally formed as the Hemel Boot Boys, Indecent Exposure went through several line-up changes before finally stabilizing to release their first single and LP.
Indecent Exposure is everything Oi! should be. Energetic, hard-hitting and catchy as hell. Their lyrics couldn't be more quintessentially British working class, covering bank holiday excursions, being on the dole, patriotism and weekend fun. Here's to the ultranationalist "England My England"
No one tries to stop it As they come over from far and wide To live inside our country And take our jobs away It makes me sick and wonder If people make up lies To help these bastards overrun And watch our country die
England my England We are white forever England my England We must stick together England my England I won’t let my country die England my England The fight is now or never
They say that we are racist And we’re all wrong and they’re all right We hate them and they hate us And that is why we’re born to fight They’ll take over the country They think that we’ll obey But there ain’t no black in the Union Jack And that’s the way it will stay Wherever there is trouble It’s us who get the blame It’s us who get pushed around The story’s always the same But they ain’t gonna stop me from hating The cunts who cause the pain And I won’t stop fuckin’ fighting ’Til Britain’s white again
>mfw the right tries to be punk the right has always been the home of the rich industrialist who uses his power to exploit everyone else. but yeah go on, fox news. tell us all about how hip and cool it is to be used by a cabal of billionaire oligarchs.
A long lost Nationalist noise once again is rediscovered! Hailing from Kent, Razor Sharp formed in 1983 with Mike on vocals, Bob on guitar, Jon on bass and Penn on drums. Mike was replaced on vocals by Jason after some six months, who in turn would later become the first vocalist of No Remorse. For reasons that should be obvious, Razor Sharp is a fairly unfortunate name for an RAC band but since Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice didn't exist in 1985 you can't exactly blame them for it. 'Proud to Be White' (an unsubtle title if I ever saw one) has a brilliantly belligerent aggressive attack with a four song streak in the middle of the tape that makes things all worthwhile. 'Repatriation' in particular has a cool spoken word intro that would work if sampled by some artist of edgy proportions.
It's a damned shame that the band never got into a proper recording studio to do these songs full justice ('Dying 1234' for example) but the basement sound quality does add some atmosphere. Overall a very good listen and a forgotten part of Oi!/RAC history. youtu.be/lKsaTJwYEjs youtu.be/t4-xPypHrNY youtu.be/BQIwHckpQwc
White revolution is what we need If we wanna save our culture and we wanna save our breed Stop them coming, send them back Can’t you see that they all are black?
This is the age of thinking and doing The black scum have put us on the road to ruin They are walking our streets with their heads held high Listen nigger scum go or die
Once they were slaves and under control Now they are pimps and muggers and they’re on the dole Deport the lot they have got to go Do we want the black scum? No! No! No!
White revolution, one day soon it will surely come We have got to save our England from an immigrant slum White revolution, it’s about time White revolution, it’s no crime
>advocates an ideology violently opposed by globohomo, the natural aristocracy, all mainstream left and right parties and the far-left >tools of rich industrialists
Ryan Green
Formed in Grimsby, Last Orders kept only the humblest expectations during the entire course of their existence. Playing a total of 15 gigs, including opening for Toy Dolls, founder and bassist Mark Richardson remarked the greatest memory he had was opening for Skrewdriver, where after his bass strap snapped, Ian Stuart lent him his, the same strap still in his possession to this day.
Their entire discography put to record consisted solely of one song contributed to "No Surrender". Curiously, the lyrics to "Just Another Soldier" take a much more cynical tone on the follies of becoming a soldier. Never would've thought a roughshod RAC band would earnestly reflect on the pitfalls of battle.
1984 was a big year for Skrewdriver. From the ashes of old would rise a phoenix declaring the new day. Signed onto Rock-O-Rama Records and backed with a new line-up, Ian Stuart and company would record and release the landmark "Hail the New Dawn", the LP that would define the band's career and give them the driving force.
RAC bands of the early ‘80s remain in my eyes some of the last rock bands to genuinely have the air of something "cult", mysterious and perhaps dangerous about them. It was the era where extreme politics both left and right collided with youth subcultures, records such as this socio-historical snapshots of a turbulent time. How can anyone not find this fascinating? It doesn't hurt that the music is damn good too – a rawer, darker offshoot from the Oi! scene that many RAC bands were keen to distance themselves from due to its perceived leftist overtones as expressed by Garry Bushell. "Hail the New Dawn" is the aesthetic and sonic peak of this movement. (Note: Literally nobody nowadays would perceive anything remotely leftist about Garry Bushell but you've just gotta believe me when I say - Oi!, it's complicated).
Ian Stuart was above all a fantastic songwriter and if you like uptempo punk with anthemic hooks then you'll have found a new favourite with 'Hail the New Dawn', an album that has muddied the name of Oi! but at the same time is one of the best representations of what the genre can accomplish. Rough skinhead street grit combines with the unsettlingly rousing vibe of 1930s fascist marches in what can only be considered a call to arms. It's menacingly political, but you can wave your football scarf to it. Tune follows tune.
Before forming Sol Invictus and dropping out of politics altogether, Tony Wakeford formed a band called Above the Ruins which released "Songs of the Wolf", the band's sole full-length musical recording.
Above The Ruins enjoyed a brief existence promoted by the British National Party of which Wakeford had become a member in 1984. Apart from his presence, the line-up of the band behind Songs of the Wolf was never revealed due to the band's open political deployment. Rumors about the identities of the members proliferated, but none of them were ever confirmed.
The record was first circulating on tape as a demo in 1984, but was then reprinted on vinyl in 1986, with "Storm Clouds Over Europe" missing and now presumably lost. No one has ever found and released the tape online. Considering its short length, you'd be forgiven if you thought of this as an EP or mini-LP.
Above the Ruin's music is within the vein of early Death in June, but the approach is much more straightforward, less clumsy and more akin to darkwave not unlike Joy Division, Warsaw or Killing Joke. Despite the production being very rough shod (keep in mind this was originally recorded as a demo) and Wakeford's clumsy performance (especially those nearly atonal vocals on "Under Western Skies"), the band manages to sound professional. The "kicking" songs like Waiting, the title-track and Progress are quite enjoyable even if a pinch awkward.
The lyrics are obviously committed, but have some good meaning even apart from the National Front propaganda: in fact this is the first attempt done by Wakeford to capture the esoteric and regal doctrine indirectly implied in his political choice of the time.
You take me part for my nationalist stance Take a knife to my heart without giving me a chance You shut down the papers that tell the truth And sentence us to prison with no real proof Rock against Communism I fight for freedom just like my father did Rock against Capitalism The evils that the world have got to be rid The tide is turning, I can't take no more It's time we picked ourselves of the floor For too long they've spread their lies Now the white man can unite as the last dove dies On the streets or on the battlefield To this red peril we must never yield With our hands on our hands we salute And with our fingers on the trigger Those traitors we shoot How long have we stood in silence Now hit back and get what we want Show them that your proud to stand at the front
Could you believe there was such a thing as bonafide '80s Fashwave? Indeed, there was a humble Southampton-based act called The Final Sound. The band formed in January 1983 out of the ashes of the punk band Luftwaffe X, who then became The Grey Wolves (no relation to the PE group of the same name) before they decided on the name The Final Sound. They suffered a number of line-up changes, leaving just Steve X and Tony Mitchell in the band, both of whom were dedicated nationalists. Despite three different women fronting the band, only Steve X would be the one putting his voice to record. Sadly, this song is the only recording of theirs which has surfaced.
The Final Sound plays Post-Punk with a distinct minimal synth/synthpop influence, a sound which should've come to the forefront of the scene. A friend of mine festively speculated this might be what disco would've sounded like had the Axis won the War. His description couldn't have been more perfect. Entering on a crescendoing tone, the song hits us with a funky bassline which sets the rhythm for the rest of the instruments to keep time with. The similarly groovy guitars have plenty of mood-setting reverb and echo as well as the soothing voice of Steve X to lure into his world of racist mayhem.
The Final Sound released one demo titled "Play to Win" distributed purportedly by Defendant Tapes. Absolutely nothing online exists about them save their sole contribution to the compilation "No Surrender". The only reason I even know this demo exists in the first place was its reference in the book "The White Nationalist Skinhead Movement" by Robert Forbes and Eddie Stampton. If this song is any indication, we may be in search for a lost gem. It's a shame something so magnificent was lost to the tide of time. I guess the crowd wasn't ready to receive something so incredible. If anyone finds this demo and shares its contents with us, you'll be crowned a hero.
Why is it the best punk music isn't even political? Rise Against's most well known songs aren't political, even when they try to push it in their videos. Same with Social Distortion. Goldfinger went unknown around the time Open Your Eyes was released
Tyler Peterson
this is as much of a stereotype as the left being todays stronghold of corporate multicultural and diversity agendas in the laborforce and workforce, so stick that in your kangaroo pipe and smoke it
"Blood and Honour" would mark a significant transition for Skrewdriver. Fading away was the bouncy, energetic Oi! of old and in was the thundering Hard Rock, a sound that defined the better portion of their discography. Equally significant was their transition from being merely British Nationalists to British National Socialists reflected in the title being a direct translation of the Hitler Youth motto.
Opening with the title track, the album warns of a Communist takeover and calls upon the listeners to unite against the Red Peril. Equally as critical of Capitalism as of Communism, Ian Stuart wished to one day see a united Europe where men can freely pursue their destiny away from the wickedness of Capitalist excess and Communist bondage.
"Blood and Honour" earns its status as a fan favorite because each song never wastes a moment or lets up. The lyrics are hard hitting and memorable with incredible riffs to boot.
Arguably one of the first RAC bands ever, Brutal Attack had been thundering in the underground since 1979, releasing a couple demos and appearing on some compilations before finally dropping an LP in 1986. Disillusionment with the increasingly left-wing push from their idols, Brutal Attack formed as an act of defiance. Initially shunned by their local scene, the boys would finally get their groove when Nationalist skinheads started surging.
You'd be hard pressed to find an album that captures the essence of the skinhead revival so vividly - the few, the proud, the feared who stood up in a world of street violence and political turbulence only to feel the scorn of wider "respectable" society come down on their shoulders.
Of course Brutal Attack are infamous for the nationalist slant that they approach many of these themes from but there's such soul and integrity to these anthems that you simply couldn't deny that this is real skinhead and this is real Oi!. The sound is incredible, with fast tempos and barely any breaks for guitar solos the songs simply surge forward unstoppably, true to the grit in the voice of Ken McLellan. In a word - impassioned. But not without killer tunes.
When it comes right down to it, these blokes were just writing about the real issues that affected them in the same way The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers did, albeit from the opposite end of the political spectrum. Something of a classic with a muscular, chunky Oi! sound only a high and mighty Antifa blogger could resist.
youtu.be/plHGkoGacNE "England's Glory" epitomizes everything the uninitiated would think about RAC with shouty yob Darren "Dal" Mumford pining for capital punishment so he and his mates may lynch your local rapist all over a steady burst of power chords, tinny drums and cymbal crashes. Public Enemy was British Oi! with all the usual themes about skinhead unity and the good old red, white and blue. This album's no weak sister, though. Unrelentingly fierce from start to finish.
Most controversially was their recruitment of later No Remorse frontman Paul Burnley on vocals. Because Public Enemy were merely British Nationlists as opposed to British National Socialists, they sacked Paul from vocals, which prompted Paul to publicly denounce his former bandmates in his fanzine "The Truth At Last", stating "[Public Enemy] sacked their lead singer Paul because of his strong NS beliefs…[Paul] was told “not to raise his right arm” or “Sieg Heil” because they didn’t want a Nazi reputation. Their ex-drummer [Martin] was found out to be a member of a multi-racial gang and played in another band secretly. He left because he did not like Paul’s politics." After Public Enemy dissolved, Paul Burnley would resurrect the band with Martin Cross on guitar.
youtu.be/UAZQX42VKRU Hailing from Greenock, Scotland, New Dawn formed in December of 1984 with brothers Wullie and Wattie McClure on vocals and guitar and bass respectively, and "Big" Ronney Scott on drums, who previously played in Intensive Care and White Pact. Between 1985 and 1986, the band played a few gigs including the 1985 RAC Suffolk Fest with Skrewdriver, Brutal Attack and Die Hards. The band split up due to personal differences between the two brothers. Steve Sharkey came in the bass for a while but soon they split up again. The band were asked to record some tracks for the White Noise LP No Surrender. They recorded Free To Lie and Master Race, and Free To Lie was chosen as the better song.
The word of the communist is heard through the media And the people, they listen to the reds Country and village, they roam right on through They’re trying to destroy all our lives
Britain for the British, is what the people shout Britain for the British, commies, commies out! Britain for the British, raise high the Union Jack Britain for the British, it’s time that we fought back
They sell all their papers, across our land People spend money on their lies Smash the bastards’ faces, and tear up their conspiracy It’s time that we ended this scum
youtu.be/vEMB03wH-w8 1987 was a turning point for Rock Against Communism. After a protracted dispute between several prominent White Noise Club-affiliated bands and National Front, Ian Stuart broke away and founded Blood & Honour, an organization that soon earned strong support from several former White Noise Club bands and even earning new followers. Only Skullhead and Violent Storm were said to have stayed loyal to White Noise Club, the latter issuing a statement denouncing Skrewdriver. This loyalty would soon bite both of those bands in the ass when it came time to release the "Third Way" EP.
By this point, Skrewdriver had already identified as a National Socialist band, and many others followed suit. Equally gone was all traces of Oi! in Skrewdriver's sound in favor of anthemic Hard Rock. Most of those ballads tend to be dreadful since your average RAC frontman's voice was built for aggression than crooning, but some have an odd charm to them. "White Rider" embodied this transition in everything from the music down to the artwork, featuring a painfully obvious homage to D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" only this time the whole background's ablaze.
The production job here is very strong, but the trouble is the songs are somewhat kitsch.
youtu.be/_NyUf2PGuGs Formed by two friends from Norwich in Norfolk, Vengeance went from being an extremely typical "second wave" RAC/Oi! band alongside Section 5 or Vicious Rumours to being a supercharged metallic RAC band on their debut full-length "Forward Into War." God knows what inspired the change, but it was certainly a welcome change of pace. Rest assured, Vengeance's "1986" still sounds hard.
Late 1986, Vengeance recorded a seven-song demo which would then be released as "1986" by Rock-O-Rama a couple years later. Vengeance rock against Thatcher, rock against nonces and rock for Saint George in the same way you've heard countless times before. But as an accustomed fan I couldn't help but enjoy this very typicality. There's a good anthemic opener and a good trot through "Borstal Breakout" for ya.
He’s never seen the light since that fateful day Never seen the light since they put him away They stuck him in the back of an old bill van A child molester not a man
Evil crime, doing his time Evil crime, doing his time Death, death, death….
He was caught with a child in his arms But standing in the docks where he lost his calm Putting through grief and strife Justice has been brought now, he’s doing life
Now he’s in the cells he’s getting paid back Day after day he’s under attack The inmates chant an evil name A child molester going insane
youtu.be/Lb8o_a4nj_E?t=2863 No Remorse may not be as hard as, say, Condemned 84 but they are twice as ugly. These songs are vicious, degenerate, violent and just downright nasty pieces of work. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth but you’ll be hard pressed to find hate rock that can match the imposing power of something like ‘Hail the Order’. Formed by guitarist Mark Smith and bassist Paul [no relation to Paul Burnley], No Remorse recruited Jason on vocals and Stew on drums. Jason had previously sung with Kent-based nationalist band Razor Sharp, who had split up because of ideological differences. After Jason had left, Paul Burnley was later recruited on vocals.
This demo splits tracks between Paul Burnley on vocals and presumably Jason. It's interesting listening to this and noticing the impact Burnley had on No Remorse because with the first singer the band are going in a more typical Oi! direction with obvious right wing sentiments but nothing as aggressive or just plain offensive as what comes on the Burnley tracks like 'Bloodsucker' and 'Six Million Lies'.
The track of most significance is 'Southall 81' that celebrates the infamous riots as a kind of far-right Cable Street, despite ignoring the fact that with this whole pitiful debacle the left and right parties present effectively tainted Oi! forever onwards. There's even a serviceable cover of 'Chaos' to compliment it and songs like 'No Remorse' and 'Fight Them Back' ('Fite Dem Back'?) that feature that aforementioned more traditional Oi! sound would be killer if given a proper recording job. Cool stuff.
About as well-known as Skrewdriver and at times even better, Newcastle-based Skullhead were among the few true northerners of RAC's most well-known bands. Also distinct of the band was their staunch Odinist faith and Third Position political stance, where they were as critical of capitalism as they were of communism. Fittingly, the Oi! here sounds as it were conceived in the dingy, dank alleyways of the city centre. "White Warrior" is borne out of social frustration, sorrow, pain and anger, having been inspired by the brutal murder of a close friend Peter Mathewson. Purportedly, the murder was motivated by Mathewson flying a Union Jack from the window of his flat. A group of six White youths were ambushed by a gang of Black Rastas. They dragged the white kids into a flat, killing Mathewson by stabbing him 70 times before scalding his face with acid and dropping masonry blocks on his head. 17-year-old John Seymour was then stabbed in the head and body. He died twice, both times doctors managed to bring him back with a life support machine. A pregnant girl named Jane was then stabbed and suffered a miscarriage. After their breakup, frontman Kev Turner later became a rave MC - no, really. Just google "MC Techno T".
"White Warrior" is distinctive for being in fact devoid of typical RAC 'Warlord' style indulgence in Hard Rock flirtations and lyrics about Odin or whatever (there was plenty of time for that on the follow up). It's strikingly punky in its approach, just try 'We Don't Trust' or 'Murdered By Scum'. This is in fact one of the very few RAC albums that in my opinion, much like the first Brutal Attack, through grit and street spirit alone crosses over into pure Oi! territory - and that's high praise. All in all, whether left or right it doesn't really matter, 'White Warrior' as track six tells us is all about the politics of the street and it communicates them vividly and purely youtu.be/EYuW3BSDAD0 youtu.be/RU7_SLytHSQ=
mate you have the mercer and kochs puppet, betsy devos, on the cabinet. She's having a grand old time restructuring the education system in a way that allows her masters to start brainwashing the nation en masse. just because your personal ideology disagree with the people who fostered it in you, doesnt mean those people aren't using you. protectionist oligarchs who own the GOP are much better at political and public manipulation than their opposition.
Nathaniel Edwards
both 'sides' do the same evil shit, the GOP is just better at it and more prolific.
Justin Perez
There really is nothing quite like a scuzzy live recording of a skinhead band from the '80s.
Forming out of the ashes of Public Disorder who released one five-track demo tape (of which two songs have been discovered), Fatal Blow would pick up where their previous incarnation left off with even more blatantly nationalist lyrics. Despite leaving an lasting impression with the local skinheads and even opening for Condemned 84 from which this recording is taken, the band never released anything else aside from a practice session that has yet to be discovered. Plans to release a proper album or studio songs never materialized.
Influences here are strictly old school Oi! free of any fancy Hard Rock ballads a la Skullhead or later Skrewdriver. Riffs are raw, aggressive and pack quite a punch. As you could surmise, the production values here are nonexistent, but the sound is still far from anything I'd call terrible. For a recording taken apparently from someone in the audience, I'm earnestly surprised this sounds listenable. The instruments are all clear and audible, the vocalist is (mostly) coherent and nothing sounds out of place. Fittingly, the setlist contains a cover of "Wonderful World" by The 4-Skins and "The Return of Saint George" by Brutal Attack.
The highlight of this gig is our vocalist Roger with his charming accent, a gent who's every working class Brit stereotype distilled into one nationalist package, complete with, "DO U LUV UR CUN'RY? I SAID DO U LUV UR FOOK'N CUN'RY?!"
Trivia: "Sid" is the nickname of Neo-Nazi activist John Kevin Wilshaw, who came out as gay in the fall of 2017. He candidly explains his nickname here:
youtu.be/CJ4aZDeJNBc No Remorse and their charismatic frontman Paul Burnley would spearhead the Second Wave with "This Time the World". While Brutal Attack and Skrewdriver would sing the glories of England and cast the Third Reich as tragic heroes, they rarely made it racial with one notable exception from the early years. Fast forward to 1988 and we have "This Time the World", an album telling you what they thought about Pakistanis, Jews, Blacks and whoever else. Named after George Lincoln Rockwell's book, the music remorselessly embodies the principle of evil. Also significant is that it was the premiere British band on French label Rebelles Européens. Rebelles Européens proudly featured records with emblazoned with Swastikas, Reichsadlers and more.
No Remorse revels in their slur-laced poetry and, all things considered, the music is as memorable as they come, for the worst and best reasons. Has to be heard to be believed. Put simply, "This Time the World" is hate with a beat. The principle of evil made musical. This is an 100% scuzz classic. RAC is something many people listen to out of morbid curiosity, and "This Time The World" has to be one of the ugliest albums ever cut to wax. The liner notes claim that leftist campaigners tried to have this banned. How can rock ‘n’ roll be more fucked up?
Apart from the admittedly badass title track and the all-time favourite "Smash The Reds" many of these songs are probably too intimidating to approach again. But this album is just so horrifyingly, disturbingly evocative - read the lyrics to "Mother England". "Tree of Life", full of imagery depicting a virtuous and almost innocent 'Aryan' family (presumably after an apocalyptic race war) would be creepy… if it wasn't so poorly played. Thankfully, that would be fixed on the rerecording for "The Best of No Remorse"
youtu.be/ySJwOZ77-x0 Commemorating the victims of Dresden's bombing, "After the Fire" seems like one of those albums which should've been much greater considering this albumm came one year off the heals of the classic "White Rider". However, "After the Fire" fails to take things to the next level even if the music is there. The uptempo, slightly punkier Hard Rock of "After the Fire" is suitably toe-tapping with a handful of pretty great songs - notably the title track, "Win or Die", "Eyes Full of Rage" and "European Dream" which are no doubt bolstered by good production that’s clear and clean even if flatter than the predecessor.
The standout track proves to be Ian's attempt at folk ballad 'The Green Fields of France' where his performance is undeniably impassioned. What this song is perhaps most memorable for however is its inclusion in a particularly ludicrous scene in the particularly ludicrous HBO documentary Skinheads USA: Soldiers of the Race War - "THIS IS MAH SONG FOR MAH FUNERAL, MAAAN!" The song announces an interest in all things folk that culminated with the two "Patriotic Ballads" albums recorded with Stigger - interestingly the Angelic Upstarts had also covered the song a year or so earlier.
A tragic element this album introduces to the weird world of Skrewdriver that would persist on subsequent releases is his complete butchery of a classic rock song - in this case "Sweet Home Alabama" (apparently they couldn't get clearance for "Werewolves of London"). What purpose ideological or otherwise said covers were intended to fulfill is unknown, but it adds to the pleasing mood of absurdity that defines these cult records. While Ian falls woefully short of the original, it's still fun to listen to and laugh at.
"After the Fire" proved Skrewdriver were no longer quite at the top of their game, but the album is still an enjoyable, sporadically memorable one.
youtu.be/dHrgN5KVtO0 Keeping with their loyalties to the White Noise Club, Skullhead released a split 12" single entitled "We Want the Airwaves" with Welsh NWOBHM Palazard. Illustrated by Kev Turner, the cover symbolizes the White Nationalist underground to break out of the underground and into the mainstream. Kev Turner dreamed of "destroy[ing] the capitalist system that dominates the music industry, and the heavy influence of left-orientated hacks in the business." On the A-side is Skullhead's epic "Look Ahead". The song marked a turning point for Skullhead where they would blend in epic, riff-driven Hard Rock hooks into their brand of Rock Against Communism. Equally as important are the lyrics.
Where are you when we need you Cos you’re in pink and your hair has grown Don’t mean you have to be a cunt Don’t mean you cannot support the Front If you were really what you said you were Then no matter what you’d always be there Cos loving your land isn’t a craze Being patriotic isn’t a fashion phase
So nationalists, get your heads together Don’t stop dead, look ahead No matter how you dress, stick together Don’t stop dead, look ahead
You used to be a skin good luck to you mate Well some of us change And just cos you’ve turned casual Don’t let your thoughts rearrange
Cos we’re still together and our minds the same We all still love our land Nationalism’s serious it ain’t a game So don’t let your dress sense get out of hand
youtu.be/h47Y-kFGvsw On the B-side is Palazard, whose name is a Portmanteau of "Palace Wizard". Palazard was certainly an unusual choice for Skullhead to feature on the split because their sound was foreign to skinhead subculture despite plenty of skinheads privately admitting to enjoying Heavy Metal in spite of its material excesses celebrated by the Rock Star lifestyle. Palpably influenced by Iron Maiden and Motörhead, "Red Light Runaway" tells a tale of a young girl's woe upon falling into the world of prostitution.
Vengeance's debut EP/demo had been a pedestrian affair; typical second wave Oi! like Section 5 or Vicious Rumours that was satisfying and enjoyable but not all that memorable.
Fast forward two years with a line-up change and then came the mighty "Forward Into War," an entirely different and almost unprecedented direction these blokes took. Musically, I'd describe them as what happens when Motörhead covers Skrewdriver, but even that doesn't quite capture the album's musical experience. The grunting vocals come together with the tight production in something truly brutal. If you want a summary just go listen to the title track now.
The new vocalist and bassist known only as Vernon is perhaps the man who brought about the complete change in style after replacing the original singer. He sounds like the embodiment of the British Bulldog, a human bulldog hybrid who relentlessly growls jingoist rhetoric in your face. And that's exactly why we all got into music in the first place, there's nothing quite like having jingoist rhetoric growled in your face. RAAAAAAARGH!
And don't ya just love the RAC aesthetic? A squat Union Jack bearing skinhead bloke dodging dragon's breath and scorched earth as a spectral viking and the grim reaper watch above. It seems as well as being a totally dope vocalist Vernon was also a talented artist as the album cover was painted with his own fair hands.
"Forward Into War" is strongly recommended to all real men (and women). Ballad 'Wake Up England' has a lot of cool psychedelic phasing in it too so even if you're a hippy you'll like this!
Originally titled Rocking for Race and Nation, "As the Drum Beats" became Brutal Attack’s second album. With a completely new line-up save vocalist and songwriter Ken McLellan, the album was a turning point for Brutal Attack, veering between Hard Rock championed by compatriots Skrewdriver. Equally significant was the recruitment of Martin Cross on guitar.
"As the Drum Beats" channels the hard and heavy power of "Stronger Than Before" into more of a straight up rock direction but it's successful at still retaining that raw, skinhead edge. 'Rock Against Communism' sounds like a more politicized (shall we say) version of Blitz and throughout Ken McLellan, his voice perfectly suited to this style, lives out his rock 'n' roll dreams by yelling 'take it away!' or 'hit me!' before every guitar solo. What Brutal Attack do, they do well.
Anyone noticing how the title track takes the chords from "Whole Lotta Rosie" by AC/DC?
did someone pay you to write and astroturf this shit, or are you doing it for free?
Tyler Hughes
An ultra-primitive slice of first-wave RAC, the suitably named British Standard’s pagan plundering sets its own course, delivering exactly as promised; shoddy, raw skinhead Oi! which sounds surprisingly fresh in spite of its flaws. As my esteemed colleagues have mentioned, these Glasgow skinheads stood out from the pack as the earliest known RAC band to feature a Chelsea named Lorraine as lead singer. She later earned notoriety for performing live at National Front’s White Noise Club, but beyond that, little is known about the band’s first and only frontwoman who never made it beyond this demo.
The demo’s rawness can only be rivaled by Mayhem’s “Pure Fucking Armageddon,” but unlike the latter’s malevolence and evil caused by the budget constraints, the production simultaneously helps and hinders the musical experience. First-wave RAC was never a polished affair to begin with, but even here, the rough shod quality may test your pain threshold. The riffs here are your standard fare Oi! reminiscent of Peter & the Wolf or The Ovaltinees, but played a bit slower. The plucky bass sets the tone for the demo as the distant sound of drums and guitar gradually join the fray. Through this raw mess of instruments comes our vocalist, yapping some indistinct lyrics which, against the odds, still sound quite fierce before a male joins on the chorus here and there. The yappy female vocals add a strangely ethereal, ghostly quality to the music, particularly on the second track. On occasion, the guitarist plays a shoddy solo. Only a couple tracks outstay their welcome while the rest deliver on their promise. The good tracks here would later be rerecorded for Celtic Connections, receiving the proper studio treatment they deserved.
Unsurprisingly, Rock Against Communism inspired few women to make music. The earliest known band to feature a female on vocals was one Glaswegian band British Standard. A few years later, a fellowship from Rochdale boldly named Lionheart would emerge to take up the mantle, where Jaki would join as vocalist in late 1988. Affiliated with Blood & Honour, founding member Jon "Icky" Hickson served as editor of the Nazi skinhead zine Viking Review which proclaimed Hitler as the 20th Century's greatest man. After recording a couple demos, Lionheart would sign with Rebelles Européens and record the Better Dead Than Red single, taken from their Stormtrooper demo from 1988.
Lionheart debuted with their first proper full-length album "A New Beginning" in 1989. Their efforts towards this album were in vain with Jaki's feelings reflecting the same dissatisfaction as before. By her own account, the studio staff's amateurish efforts to correct the drummer's inability to keep a beat with a drum machine were further compounded by mishandling the mixing of the vocals. Due to budget contraints, the band could not remix the album and just sent the tapes to be put to wax.
The studio seemed dedicated to fucking this up, because the poor mixing renders all the instruments as a formless over-reverbed mess. By far, the biggest problem is the vocals, because Jaki can't sing worth shit. If she isn't audibly straining to belt, she's flatly going through the lyrics with no apparent attempt to carry any of the songs. Whoever thought it keen to add delay to her voice on "Time to Die" and "Sons of England" should never work in production again, although it lends a fascinatingly bizarre quality to the former. A pal of mine astutely described this as sounding though she was singing from the bottom of the well with the microphone suspended over the top.
Mate fox news has been doing the same shit for a while, and since theres no way in hell murdoch doesnt have shills on here its pretty fucking suspect that some faggot comes along with an arseload of writeups for shitty 'rightwing punk' bands.
After the rather sprightly tunes of the somewhat lacking "After the Fire", "Warlord" verges towards the sound of "White Rider" and stands out as Skrewdriver’s most Hard Rock album. With that raw, dry production throughout it certainly sounds pretty heavy.
Much like its predecessor, "Warlord" is undeniably inconsistent. We have some truly great moments like the title track, "Their Kingdom Will Fall", "Excalibur" and "The Warrior’s Song" with Ian Stuart going all out with high fantasy imagery of defending a medieval land in peril through sword and sorcery. But then other songs are simply unmemorable and in the case of the cover of "Back in Black", pure, unadulterated shit; it's fucking dreadful and an insult to AC/DC. If you’ve ever wanted to hear the worst thing Ian Stuart ever did then it is surely this lumbering, embarrassing, turd-like attempt to channel AC/DC.
The album's patchiness can be attributed both to the dreadful cover and the somewhat middling production, although plenty of good songs can be found. There’s still enough scattershot brilliance to make it rewarding for fans – the closer "Suddenly" ascended into the ranks of the all-time Skrewdriver classics, covered by virtually every RAC with half the passion.
Final note: anyone else feel the album cover looks like a late 80s video game's box art?
Christ, you really need to update your talking points, because bitching about Fox News is so 2006.
Samuel Carter
lol you've gone full schizo
Connor Murphy
youtu.be/KF4symyI55Y youtu.be/E2pfxp8U1l0 youtu.be/HQi0n6ozvNo 1989 saw a very curious shift in the career of Ian Stuart. As Skrewdriver kicked up quite a fuss, Ian Stuart forged two new projects: the Klansmen and his solo career. "No Turning Back" was released shortly after Skrewdriver's "After the Fire." It's quite punky and more so than most of Skrewdriver's later Hard Rock material, although the album's Hard Rock counterbalances the Oi! "Fortress Europe," "Battle Cries" and most of all "Firepower" sound like what they were playing on Hail the New Dawn. Even the title track, though based on a metallic riff, clocks in at under two minutes and has a lot of Punk ferocity. "Red Flags Are Burning," "Campaign in the East" and "Triumph of the Will" are three of the best of Stuart's hard rock compositions, not just on here, but anywhere.
As with Skrewdriver, Ian Stuart was no stranger to goofy covers. "No Turning Back" has three, and the first is the most logical, "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who, Ian's second cover of theirs. Thankfully, this version is rather rote; playing by the numbers, but true to the original. He didn't alter the lyrics, but when references to a bad man and sad man behind blue eyes is sung by a white power band, it gives the song a political double entendre that was not intended by the song's original meaning. Curiously, Roger Daltrey made international headlines and faced heavy criticism for saying that liberal politicians in the Labour Party failed and betrayed the UK by flooding the country with immigrants that took jobs from the British working class as recently as November of 2013. Of course, Daltrey exercised taste and discretion, but his thoughts aren't really far from those Ian expressed on all of these LPs. I'm certain he would have felt some sort of vindication had he lived to hear Daltrey's comments.
After premiering with the mighty "White Warrior", Skullhead returned to release the even mightier "Odin's Law". The band stood out among the RAC movement not only for pushing an "Odinist" neo-pagan spirituality but also declaring themselves as politically "third position." The album continued the themes from the first while delving further into Neopaganism.
The album sounds like one of the purest fusions of Oi! and Hard Rock to be found, with strong melodies and a driving, heavy sound that's bolstered rather than hampered by a raw recording job. Hooks! Way more sprightly, summery hooks and general songcraft than you’d expect from a bunch of skins from Newcastle without sacrificing any roughness or rowdiness. Even the cover of "Chaos" is strong, and RAC bands covering first wave Oi! is pretty much always a no-no in my book. Similar to Brutal Attack's "As the Drum Beats", this is undoubtedly one of the top albums of the era. Even more than ISD’s bands, you can't help but wonder how successful they could’ve been if they were a bunch of mild mannered Britons who didn’t mind the demographic displacement of their people.
Hailing from Croydon, Sudden Impact enjoyed a rough reputation as one of Britain's more directly racist RAC bands. Aside from releasing stickers featuring hooded Klansmen holding up a black victim's severed head with the tagline "Death to Nigger Scum," the band would publish nasty numbers like "White Slag" under the pseudonym The Croydon Criminals. Their close connection to Ian Stuart and company eventually earned them a deal with Rock-O-Rama Records, debuting with an appropriately named, rough shod Oi! album "Storm." Their music was fittingly spirited if a pinch awkward due to the clunky lyrics.
This one's got what is probably my favorite opening line that's palpably stupid, yet moving because the sentiment is too sincere, "Do you remember the time when our forefathers were young?" I'm afraid not, mate. Kinda hard to remember something you, by definition, never experienced directly.
By 1989, Skrewdriver and Brutal Attack were gradually shedding their Oi! sound in favor of something harder, so Sudden Impact stormed the scene, as their name would imply, returning to RAC's roots as a much more punky and uptempo band than some of their peers.
While not half as memorable as their more successful contemporaries, "Storm" stays true to the sound of British Oi! and boasts some pretty strong tracks like "Ready and Waiting" and "Strength of a Nation". There's even a cover of Motorhead's "Bomber" that's surprisingly serviceable; not great, but passable. Certainly worth hearing.
youtu.be/pT1JgjPbJwM Sudden Impact would hit the studio again to release a sophomore album "Rock & Roll Rebels." Eddie Stampton published a scathing review in "The White Nationalist Skinhead Movement," lambasting everything from the album cover to the music itself. While the songwriting here is cringeworthy with some sour notes to boot to boot, a skinhead band trying their hands at ballad-driven Hard Rock has that inimitable charm characteristic of passion-driven amateurs which lasts long after the first listen.
The music here isn't far off from the band's idol Ian Stuart who was no stranger to ballads himself. The release of "White Rider" set a precedent for many to emulate, but if the interviews with Sudden Impact are any indication, Hard Rock was a natural framework for inspiration. They grew up on a steady diet of AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Motörhead, so it's hardly a surprise they'd incorporate these ideas in the development of their sound. Other skinhead bands would later turn to that sound to a much greater degree than these gents had.
A raw, buzzing yet faintly hollow blues riffs define the heavier tracks here with the occasional guitar solo belted out for good measure. The album opens with a punky but tepid "See You All in Hell" with made distinct by its shouted refrain and sweet solo which comes roaring in towards the middle. "White Heat" and "Quest for Fire" are much bluesier than the preceding tracks, but much similar in all other respects. "Hail the Warriors" stands out as the album's highlight. Full of simple, but energetic riffs to keep your blood pumping and keyboards to deepen the impact, the song achieves everything it sets forth.
The rest of the album more or less veers between Hard Rock and Skinhead Oi!, but even with a few duff tunes, the music succeeds on its own merits and those curious about RAC's transition from Oi! to Hard Rock will find this listen rewarding.
youtu.be/aYqpuWXWsmI youtu.be/RO6BnUP9ads No, Skullhead and Violent Storm were not proto-Blairites. The title refers to Third Positionism, an ideology pursued intermittently within the National Front of the mid to late '80s by its more…cosmopolitan elements. Charmingly dubbed "the Nutty Fairy party" by its hard-nosed right-wing rivals, Third Positionism came to prominence when elements of the British Third Position sucked up to Farrakhan and Gaddafi, perhaps forgetting (or ignoring) Gaddafi's arms dealing with the Provos. "Third Way" functions as a period souvenir. Most prominently it features Skullhead – ever the thinking man’s Nazis (just don’t call them Nazis) – belting out the closest RAC came to an anthem of interracial solidarity, via good old anti-capitalism. As you can imagine, from a political standpoint "Blame the Bosses" is pretty awkward and ironically enough it is this yearning to be "intelligent" that leaves the band perhaps even more open to criticism than simply relying on crude sloganeering.
Still, "Blame the Bosses" is one hell of a song with that dark, simplistic riffing enveloping you like Tyneside fog and Kev Turner’s Geordie terrier-like yap never failing to send a tingle up my spine. As for Violent Storm, "Celtic Warrior" is the same ancient warrior spirit expressed in brittle, manic punk rock. "Unemployed Voice" keeps the Punk but momentarily ditches the mysticism for something that musically and lyrically sounds like it could have been on one of the No Future ‘Country Fit For Heroes’ comps. This EP is evidence of a period – a short one at that – when UK RAC was actually a flourishing scene with an active political consciousness rather than just the flatulent Ian Stuart personality cult it has been since the ‘90s.
''SKINHEAD, SKINHEAD!!'' Yeah I've seen it, but it has such a blatant moralist stance trying to demonize the whole skinhead subculture while Made in Britain is more objective, and just a nihilisitic snapshot of those times.
1989 was a busy year for Paul Burnley. Not only would he helm three No Remorse albums at the close of the decade, he would resurrect Public Enemy with Martin Cross to release one brand new record.
"See You in Valhalla" was a marked turn away from the primitive sounding Oi! from "This Time the World". Quite like their contemporaries, No Remorse embraced anthemic Hard Rock. The songs here sadly aren't too memorable, but "Invisible Empire", penned by none other than Ian Stuart, closes the album nicely. Most humorously is the parody of The Specials "Free Nelson Mandela", prescribing their preferred treatment of South Africa's (later) new leader. So much for "Hold On, South Africa".
In case it wasn't screamingly obvious, Public Enemy is completely unrelated to the rap group of the same name, though I'd imagine both sets of boys would find a few things to agree on. The first wave RAC band of the same name called it quits shortly after releasing their only studio album "England's Glory" in 1986. One year later, American Hip-Hop legends would drop "Yo! Bum Rush the Show," but rather than take it lying down, Paul Burnley hit the studios with Martin Cross on guitar to record an album flipping the bird at the Long Island rappers. Prior to the original line-up's disbandment, Paul had been called in to perform on vocals. Previously mentioned, the original line-up sacked Paul, prompting him to denounce his former bandmates, so I can only presume he continued the project without their authorizaiton. What's even more curious is that Public Enemy might not have been resurrected if it weren't for the Rap group ruling the airwaves and also if Sean Heywood of No Remorse had followed through on a deal to record an album with Paul.
Hearing this downtempo lo-fi Hard Rock wasn't expected, leading the music here to be both exciting and disappointing. The drumming is seriously propulsive, giving that footstomping energy to the rhythm driven songs and intensity to the campy love ballads. The riffs sound like your standard fare Hard Rock, but the guitar tone has a distinct crunch due to the lo-fi production values. Whether this helps or hinders the music is up to you.
The two flaws working against the listening experience is the rough shod production and unrehearsed musicianship. Tellingly, Burnley had stated in an interview the first album "There Is Only One Public Enemy" was practiced and recorded in exactly one week.
youtu.be/AQYo24oK_i0 youtu.be/ODXR6I9jPxA Formed out of the ashes of Guttersnipe Army and originally called White Aggression before changing their name to avoid being confused with the Swedish band of a similar name, English Rose were bound to be a troublesome band. Before recording their first studio single, vocalist had done some prison time before getting out at the end of 1988. The band would get together and hit the studios to record "Proud Nationalist Warriors" which was then issued and distributed by Rebelles Européens.
The songwriting here is the standard fare skinhead themes of Nationalist unity and the perils of imprisonment, but what's not standard here are the punchy riffs and energetic tone. This is some seriously fierce stuff.
Proud nationalist warrior, he’s standing stron Fighting for his country where he belongs With pride in his race and pride in his land Proud nationalist warrior is gonna make a stand Proud nationalist warrior, he’s standing strong Proud nationalist warrior, this is where he belongs Proud nationalist warrior, he’ll always fight Proud nationalist warrior, he’s proud to be white
On the streets with his head held up high Fighting for his country until the day he dies He’s a loyal warrior to the nationalist fight Nationalist warrior, he’s proud to be white
He’s a warrior fierce he’s fighting for his cause Showing no mercy, showing no remorse Fighting for his future and his country’s pride From a nationalist warrior you can never hide
He loves his land and wants to set it free From the scum on the streets in our society Keep out of his way because the weak will fall The warrior will rise and he will take all
>There really is nothing quite like a scuzzy live recording of a skinhead band from the '80s. imagine the smell
Adam Cooper
youtu.be/onui5TVgCJw youtu.be/RZkVIst8hpQ Formed in Essex around late spring of 1989 by Alex and J, Battle Zone recorded one demo that successfully earned them a deal with Rebelles Européens. Unlike most RAC bands featuring motifs of Vikings, Nordic Gods, Swastikas or Third Reich iconography, Battle Zone instead opted for something a little more menacing. Conscious of the ill effects of drug addiction in the underground, "Way of Death" indicts the drug pushers who poison the youth while "Nation of Sorrow" describes the pains of being a British Nationalist. Despite these themes, Battle Zone steadfastly claimed not to be a political band. In an interview with Last Chance, they never identified as a political band because the band never had a platform from which they operated from. They simply sang about life as they saw it.
Would you believe an RAC band made its way to BBC airplay? In a move that surprised the band greatly, they heard their played on BBC Radio Essex one Sunday. Sadly, they would never be heard again, but the fact the band got that far is remarkable
Why do you do it, it ain't that cool! The misuse of drugs it's just for fools They say nothing ventured nothing gained But if you try drugs it will always end in pain.
(chorus) Pusher you've made your bread No guilty conscience for the dead Junkie change your ways Or you'll be counting your days.
Just trying it out that's all it will be Well I'm sorry mister I just don't agree Once you get involved in that filthy trap That will be your lot There will be no turning back.
(chorus)
Acid and coke it's all the same You're just the pawns in the barons games He's making a fortune from the weak few Once you've fallen in there's nothing you can do.
(chorus)
Addiction sets in then you're too late Pathetic useless wreck your lifes a state Drugs say be in fashion than whats left It ain't a way of life it's a way of death.
stop posting. who cares about those horrible music bands? are there more than 10 people on this planet who listen to this garbage? have they accomplished anything?
youtu.be/t4qyoFXiuz0 Actual Body Harm (or A.B.H.) were one of the few nationalist Punk bands as opposed to skinhead bands. They start in Lowestoft and their vocalist Pete came from Cycle Sluts, a joke band. In 1981 two of their members (bassist Nigel and drummer Tony), they start play under the name Stretcher Case fast covers in songs of Sex Pistols and Damned. The guitarist Chris Brinton and vocalist John Brinton, leave the band and replaced by Steven and Pete. With the new line up, they change their name and in July of '82 they wrote their first demo tape with 4 songs: 999, Country Boy Rocker, Wanna Riot and Teenage Aggression. Two of them take a part in compilation "A Country Fit For Heroes" (slogan of Mosley!). In May of '83 came a second demo tape with the songs: Concrete Jungle, Kids of the Nation, Pisssed on Arrival and Don't Mess With the SAS. The song Don't Mess With the SAS take a part also in compilation Oi! of Sex.
In 1984 before they split up, they wrote the song Nerves of Steel for the cult 7 Τhis is White Noise. After the split of the band, Pete and Nigel goes to The Silly Vicars. Pete was also soldier in Bosnia and the years '86-'88 in Afganistan. Tony played in many other bands out from scene with different sounds, like: Phreaker, Dlae, Switch, The Suffer and Live&Loud. The line up was: Pete Chilvers-vocals, Nigel Bulton-bass, Tony Cullingford-drums, Steven Curtis-guitar. They had also a promo video clip in 1983 of their song Dont Mess With S.A.S and the song came from 7 This Is White Noise.
