Wednesday 30 January 2013

Revilers - Self Titled


I'm stuck inside today as the weather here is a load of pants, so I thought I'd get stuck into a bit of punk for a change. Massachusetts punk to be precise, is the name of Revilers. This is their self-titled debut album and it was released on the 27th of March 2012 via Patac Records with the help of some other labels in both the US and Europe. The press sheet I received with the record mentioned that Revilers have shared stages with the likes of Agnostic Front and Dropkick Murphy's amongst others, so this should be right up my street.

Tracklist:-

1. No Bullshit Reactor
2. Revision
3. Fifth Column
4. 1860
5. Control
6. Sick of Being Sick and Tired
7. Frustration
8. Quit My Job
9. End of The Road
10. All Ages
11. Negativity
12. First Law
13. BCR

I've been listening to so much crushing metal and grind recently that it has started to slightly all blur into one, so listening to some punk is not just a refreshing change but also a nostalgia trip for me, having got into metal through pop-punk and AFI-brand hardcore in my early teens. That being said, the last punk band of this kind I listened to was Opposition Rising and they are a tough act to follow.

What greets you on this album is pure, drunken sing along punk played with attitude and skills. Opener No Bullshit Reactor pretty typifies that statement. With a decidedly old-school vibe and a snotty attitude, Revilers don't take themselves too seriously. Fifth Column throws down a sense of bands like The Clash and Sex Pistols, but with some screaming leads. I love the guitar work during 1860 too, it's got really good melody but isn't complicated and works really well with the rest of the music.

I always find it hard to tell what effect an albums going to have on me until I'm at least halfway through it, this one is on different, but I can tell you that it's a riot. In a world where radio friendly mainstream pop-punk has taken over in recent years, when you do get something that's raw like this, it's always a huge breath of fresh air. It may not be totally original and some may even say that Revilers are plagiarising the old masters, but I say get over it an listen to it for what it is. 

I thought that Sick of Being Sick and Tired might have been a Papa Roach cover, which would have been fun, but alas it wasn't. It was a rip-roaring shout along song though, which would have left you hoarse in a live setting. Revilers rely on short, snappy songs to hammer home their point. There's really no point making punk too overblown or stodgy and that doesn't happen here. Quit My Job is an anthem for anyone who's sick of working for the man! 

As the record closes out you're left with a feeling a bit empty as it's great to hear a band enjoying themselves on record. Even though there are a whopping thirteen tracks here, it's not a long album at all and that's down to the quality and impact of the songs. If you want something to crank up on a Friday night, during your weekend pre-drinks you can't go wrong with Revilers. Brilliant stuff! 
You can hear it for yourselves here:-

Now, you can digitally download the record from Revilers' bandcamp page above or you can pick up physical copies from the labels who released. I've put links to them below:-

Patac Records http://www.patacrecords.com and http://www.facebook.com/patacrecords.
Black Hole Records - http://www.facebook.com/blackholerecs
Contra Records - http://www.contra-records.com and http://www.facebook.com/contrapunkrecords
4Subculture Records - http://www.facebook.com/pages/4Subculture-Records

You can also catch up with Revilers themselves on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Revilers.

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