excess all areas

I like to fool myself into believing that I’ve got my finger on the pulse, sonically speaking. But, to be honest, underneath it all I’m aware of just how much self-deception is going on. The fact of the matter is that there are simply too many bands making too many good tunes (and a lot [...]

(sub)human evolution

Subhumans - Internal Riot
Bluurg Records

More than twenty years on from their last studio release, the boys from Wessex have at last managed to drag their arses from the primordial punk slime to give us what we’ve all been waiting for. This record is, without doubt, their finest release to date. It’s like they’ve dissected everything [...]

try before you buy

Reviews of music here at OPND will now include a free downloadable track from the release, so that you can get a feel for the flavour of the whole thing. I’ll do my best to select a track that sums up the overall vibe (if that’s possible), notwithstanding my own subjectivity. If you like the [...]

fist in the face

Behind Enemy Lines - One Nation Under The Iron Fist Of God
Profane Existence / Antagony / Alerta Antifascista

Before you even put this record anywhere near your hifi you’ll be blown away by it. Quality from every angle. The cover is matt-finished heavyweight charcoal-coloured card, the image dripping with menace as the Christ figure, draped in [...]

by order of the management

The Managers - Special
Global Routes Music

First off, this is one big band! Twenty musicians contribute to this release, although I don’t think they all appear at the same time! The numbers involved have helped create a collection of tunes that display a great deal of variety and musical inventiveness.
They’re also from New Zealand, [...]

gotta lotta bottle

Stage Bottles - (We Need A) New Flag
Insurgence Records / Knockout Records

Although this is not a new release, it is the latest offering from German Oi! mob the Stage Bottles, and a fine affair it is too.
Musically, the influence of The Blaggers, The Business and The Clash are all prominent in the mix, along with [...]