ALBUM REVIEW: Rum Lads – Noise Terrorists
(Breakout Promotions)
Rum Lads are a working class indie-punk band formed in Sheffield in the autumn of 2022. They describe themselves as “angry lads playing angry songs and telling it straight”, which pretty much sums them up.
Frontman Richie Young had been venting his spleen for a few years as solo artist Rum Lad, singing and playing everything himself, releasing four albums.
He made his Rebellion Festival debut last year on the Introducing stage, performing his agit-punk songs over a pre-recorded backing track.
But it was an appearance as a guest vocalist at the Angelic Upstarts Tribute to Mensi the same night which made him re-think what he was doing.
He enjoyed the buzz of playing with a band so much he set about forming his own, starting with Upstarts guitarist Neil ‘Newts’ Newton.
Over the next few weeks they recruited Si Cadelic on bass and Jim ‘The Fin’ Finlayson on drums, and set about recording their debut album.
A furious single, Wasps, was released as a teaser, and a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited to Rum Lads’ rehearsal rooms in Sheffield to hear them play the album in full.
I liked it very much, even though Wasps was the only song I’d heard before, and after having the finished album on repeat play for a week I can confirm it’s a must-hear release.
A great man once said that anger is an energy, and Rum Lads have both by the bucket load – and then some. Tories are an obvious (and frequent) target for their ire, along with the monarchy, capitalist system and all the fat cats who have their noses in the trough while others struggle to make ends meet.
Things kick off with Monarchist Death Party, which positively overflows with rage. Powered by a juddering bassline, pounding drums and a filthy guitar riff, it’s a real statement of intent.
Blunt Truth Trauma is next up, and it’s even better, giving us the album’s first great singalong chorus: “Hit them with some blunt truth trauma, make their outrage go away …. “hit them with some blunt truth trauma, drink their tears like beaujolais.”
Incinerator slows things down a touch, but there’s no let up in the fury as Richie rails against corrupt politicians. Never ‘Til Now dials down the anger a bit and shifts along to a lolloping beat, but the respite doesn’t last as Thorns ups the ante again.
Strength in numbers
Richie issues a call to arms to the working class, warning: “People need to rise up through the smoke/Before these bastards watch you fucking choke“. It’s one of the standout songs here, with another earworm chorus which warns “we’ve got strength in numbers“.
Wasps is another passionate swipe at the ruling classes, asking “How much money will it take to make you feel alive/Kill the working class and take the people for a ride,” while Glue Sniffer is about the sort of social climbers who forget where they’ve come from, and features one of Si’s best bass lines.
One of Newts’ best riffs drives Crawl Away, which contrasts Champagne Charlie lifestyles with those who need six more cans of super strength to help get their head right through the day, concluding: “We’ve watched you steal it all/We won’t take it any more.”
Your Darkest Days is another rager which asks “are we back in 1985?” and advises “just smile and drink your fucking beer, your darkest days are here” as ordinary people struggle to cope with suffocating lives.
Anti Social Club
Things come to a rousing close with Anti Social Club – possibly the angriest song here (and that’s saying something). It has a killer riff and a great chorus which is asking to be sang back at Rum Lads by thousands of festival-goers.
Ten slices of proudly working class, anti-fascist, Tory-hating punk rock in 24 minutes. What more could you ask for? 8.5/10.
You can catch Rum Lads live on the following dates:
- Manchester Punk Festival – 7-9 April
- Punk On The Peninsula – Dunoon, Scotland – 25-28 May
- Crapfest – EBGB’s, Liverpool – 22 July
- Rebellion Festival – Blackpool – 4 August
The album is available now on CD HERE and on all good streaming platforms, and can be pre-ordered on black or white vinyl HERE.
