ALBUM REVIEW: Convict Class – Not The Enemy (Randale Records)
Convict Class are a four-piece old school punk band from Warrnambool, Victoria, who present their own Australian take on old-school UK punk.
Sten Gun (vocals), Benno (guitar), Shane (bass) and Al (drums) are influenced by The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers, first generation OI! bands, and fellow countrymen like Rose Tattoo and AC/DC.
Not The Enemy is their second album (after 2024’s Generation Of Discontent) and like its predecessor it’s packed with meaty riffs, a heavy duty rhythm section and gnarly vocals, but no little melody.
It opens with the powerful pacifist anthem War, which is followed by Loser, which channels prime Anti-Nowhere League as Sten sings: “You’re a loser, self abuser, even hated by your mum”.
Old School Punk, with its hint of Pretty Vacant in the intro, is either a celebration of the stereotypical mohawk and studded jacket type who thinks any music made after 1982 is shite, or a denigration of that whole mindset – I’ll leave it to you to decide. Either way, it’s a banger.
Anger Management, with its insistent, driving riff, is about coping with all the things that make you angry in today’s society, and fuck knows there’s plenty of them, while Have You Been Told slows the pace as it calls out nagging other halves.
Down On The Docks is a celebration of working class life, while Only Fans, another contender for standout track, is about content creators who sacrifice their self-respect and bare all in pursuit of money and fame.
We’re nearing the end, and Convict Class serve up a brace of songs celebrating the punk scene and working class unity. First, lead single and title track Not The Enemy implores punks and skins to get on, then Maximum Impact paraphrases oi! pioneers The Last Resort’s famous slogan “no mess, no fuss, just pure impact”.
We’re not quite done, and it’s time for a cover version, and it’s one which might surprise a few people. Convict Class covered Canadian new wavers Martha And The Muffins’ Echo Beach when I saw them at Rebellion a couple of years ago, and this time they give us their take on Duran Duran’s synth-pop classic Planet Earth.
The sci-fi feel and synths of the original are replaced by a dystopian warning and swaggering guitar as they warn “we’re fucking up planet earth”. I wasn’t sure it worked at first, but it’s a real grower and I hope they play it on their return to Rebellion this August.
Convict Class aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but their mix of punk, oi and pub rock makes Not The Enemy a hugely enjoyable album. 8/10
- Not The Enemy by Convict Class is available on streaming services now and physically from 3 July from Randale Records HERE.
