ALBUM REVIEW: Various Artists – Spirit of DIY Vol 4 (Punkboot Promotions)
Lancashire-based Punkboot Promotions have been doing their damnedest to keep the Spirit of DIY alive in these troubled times.
That’s why it’s great to see them continue this compilation series to a fourth volume, with choice cuts from bands old and new.
Like the first three sets, Vol 4 contains some newly recorded and unreleased tracks, alongside more familiar fodder.
The big difference with this one is that for the first time, it’s available as a limited edition orange vinyl pressing, as well as on CD.
The Spirit of DIY features mostly UK bands, though previous editions include some from the US, Sweden and France.
Things begin closer to home with veteran Welsh oi! band Foreign Legion, who have become SoDIY regulars; this is their third appearance.
This Is Our Music, from their most recent album, 2016’s Always Working Class, is a good example of their bootboy rock.
Half a dozen of the bands featured are new to me, included Wakefield four-piece Bleed. They describe themselves as “punks trying to be musicians, not musicians trying to be punks”.
Their track Gang Related Death sits somewhere between UK Subs and GBH in sound, so I’d say they’re making a decent fist of it.
New name
Scottish streetpunks Rare Breed are another new name. I like their pacey new track Bank Holiday From Hell very much, it sounds like The Partisans, and I must check out last year’s debut EP Britain’s Fucked.
Kurt137, from Toulouse in France, return from Vol 3 (reviewed here), with a new track, Lachez les Chiens, which translates as ‘Let go the dogs’. It’s a tasty slice of metal-tinged punk, though I’m ashamed to say I don’t understand a word. I really should have listened to Madame Cunningham at school…
The Allergics, from West Yorkshire, also make their third appearance in the series, with Seen It All. I like them more the more that I hear from them, and I hope to catch them live when gigs get going again.
Wasted Life, from Stoke, have released three full-lengths and a split, and contribute a new track, Dark Times. It reminded me how good they were, and had me checking out their old stuff.
Side one of the vinyl version ends with the most ‘out there’ track included from the 85 included across the four volumes of Spirit of DIY so far.
Dark noise
The Mannequin Factory are punk poet Adam Probert and noise-maker John E Smoke of Flesh Eating Foundation, Sideblinder and Men With Mallets. Their track Release is a brooding mixture of spoken word and dark noise loops. If it leaves you curious to hear more, like it did me, they’ve got a couple of albums available on Bandcamp HERE.
Side two sees a return to more typical territory, with a straightforward oi offering from Priorities, a band from the Greek city of Athens, from their debut EP. They’re followed by Overload, from Cambridge, who play a raw mix of streetpunk and 80s thrash, or, as they put it, “music for bastards”. Check them out here.
Standout tracks
Braindance, who also return from Vol 1, up the ante considerably. The Norwich-based punks remind me of the excellent Control, and their track Cold Case is one of my favourites here.
Another belter follows from Whitby three-piece Hot Rockets, who I saw a couple of years ago and immediately fell in love with. Radar is the opening track from last year’s debut full-length Planet In The Sky (reviewed here). If you don’t know them, be sure to catch them when we can all gig again. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
The Scumbrians. from Whitehaven, deserve to be better known, as they impressed enormously at Rebellion. They make their SoDIY debut with Living In The Ghetto.
3 Loose Nuts are three-quarters of May Contain Nuts, the only band who’ve appeared on every volume of the compilation. Kick Down The Walls is a rollicking song which recalls the Angelic Upstarts.
Things are rounded off with On The Committee, by Hampshire punk rock ‘n’ rollers Bamboo Vipers. They have an enjoyable Cock Sparrer/The Business sound, and are another new name I’ll be exploring further.
Veterans who’ve been cranking it out in various guises for years, they have a full-length and couple of EPs to their name.
All in all, this is another cracking collection of bands old and new. Word of mouth has made it so popular the limited run of 350 vinyl copies is almost sold out. Visit www.punkbootpromotions.com HERE to snag one before they’re all gone. 8/10.
