Beast Of British
Various Artists
Deck Cheese / High Speed
As a chronicle of contemporary British punk, this is one of the most vibrating, refreshing overviews I’ve heard in a very long time. It does include recent tracks from legends like UK Subs and Sick on the Bus, but you already knew that those were absolutely brilliant, and what’s striking about this collection is the fantastic amount of new talents on display here – from Travis Cut and Douglas to Scuttle and Vanilla Pod. Moving from old-school and ska/Oi! to emo and skate, it seems that not only this album but the entire British punk scene in general has opened up to every shade of punk, inviting everyone to the party, staying relevant and on top in its fight to be heard and to make sense. Making sure that the music stays in the streets that gave birth to it, the bands here refuse to compromise, so that even the skate-punkers are refreshingly anti-establishment, so unlike your regular Blink-182s and Offsprings. Shootin’ Goon is fantastic, brass-heavy ska, Varukers are heavier than most metal bands can ever hope to be, and Engage delivers some fine emo-core. There is something here for everyone and, even better, everyone is welcome. Punk with a cause.
High Speed Recordings: http://www.highspeedrecordings.com
