{"id":7328,"date":"2022-02-20T17:07:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-20T17:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=7328"},"modified":"2022-02-20T17:07:25","modified_gmt":"2022-02-20T17:07:25","slug":"black-star-brigade-reissue-should-appeal-to-fans-of-old-school-rancid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=7328","title":{"rendered":"Black Star Brigade reissue should appeal to fans of old-school Rancid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ALBUM REVIEW: Black Star Brigade – They Think They Can Knock Us Down (Rock Em Dead Records)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Black Star Brigade were a streetpunk band from Austin, Texas, who were active from 1999 to 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They released just one 7in EP and one album (on CD only) during their time together, both issued only in the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the first time the long player, which came out in 2003, has been released on vinyl, and also its first release in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark from DIY punk label and distro Rock ‘Em Dead Records, which has reissued it, rates this in his top three punk albums of the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He puts it on a par with Rancid’s \u2026And Out Come The Wolves in term of songwriting and musicianship, and I’d agree that if you like AOCTW you’ll love this too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It kicks off with The Call<\/em>, whose chorus “fight, fight, fight, fight” is a frantic call to arms, and the pace barely lets for the next 45 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their high-energy streetpunk is the kind which leaves you exhausted by the end of a gig, but Black Star Brigade weren’t all about tempo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s plenty of melody among the screaming guitar solos, rat-a-tat drumming, and wandering basslines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frontman Deuce’s vocals are raw and impassioned, and his bandmates’ backing lend them a real gang feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rancid comparisons are obvious but I’d also liken Black Star Brigade to The Unseen, Swingin’ Utters and The Briggs (remember them?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tracklisting of this reissue differs slightly from the original release, but adds four previously unreleased tracks, and the music still sounds energised, fresh and exciting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rancid comparisons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For me the standouts are the back-to-back This City<\/em> and Wrecked<\/em>, where they ease off the gas a bit, and the catchy as hell A Shot Rang Out<\/em>, where they sound more Rancid-like than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, if you like Rancid’s early records I can almost guarantee you’ll like this. 8\/10.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n