"We live in medieval times..." On this Oi-flavoured terrace anthem, John Robb and sideburned pals turn with disgust to the oil-driven nu-feudalism sweeping unchecked across the world, blood-hungry religious fundamentalism of all stripes and pissed-up, self-destructive thuggery of you, the people!
From the red-eyed raptor on the sleeve to the boot-boy rumble of the music and pre-chorus footy chant woh-oh's, this is Goldblade revved-up a gear, putting punk's hooligan cousin to far nobler ends than some of the right wing wankers who've made Oi a dirty word in some quarters.
Set aside, for now at least is the 'rock'n'roll is our religion' rhetoric of old, Goldblade have bigger fish to fry - the party's over, these are dark days indeed. That's not to say this is no fun; the title track's a swaggering great anthem that Green Day'd give their eye teeth to have written and it comes with a lunatic sea-shanty guitar solo that conjurs up images of a piratical Goldblade boarding The Coral's pussy-ass sailing dingy and making the spotty cainers walk the plank. Every last one of 'em.
By way of B-sides we get Goldblade classics Black Elvis, AC/DC and Hairstyle done live in St Petersburg and John Robb's native Blackpool plus, brilliantly, covers of Strictly Hardcore by Outl4w, average age 11 and Scots punks Buzzbomb, who sound a bit older.
Goldblade are back, now when we need them most.
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10Tommy Mack's Score