Every now and then we receive a Punk band to review and I feel very proud to write about them because I know the intimate liaisons Metal music and Punk Rock and Hardcore have. When it comes to Thrash Metal these liaisons get so clear and outstanding. But, if we dig deeper, NWOBHM also has intimate liaisons with Punk Rock even though most bands don’t recognize that. Even deeper there wouldn’t be a Motörhead without Punk Rock. Ok, I know this is debatable, but worthwhile.
Here we’ve got Straight Red with the EP “Love Ain’t Enough,” a football as theme driven album. Football, or soccer as it is called in the US, may still seem very strange to americans. How come a sport with matches that end in endless ties! The thing is that Straight Red aren’t here to explain or show soccer to the crowds. They are here to show all the violence in soccer. And there is plenty. And nothing is more related to Punk than violence. “Violence and Football” tells this tale much better than I would be able to. And nothing is more British than violence, Punk Rock and soccer. So, the EP is almost about warcries of soccer as “We Hate Us.”
Musicwise, “Love Ain’t Enough” can be explained as a mix of Metal instrumentals with Punk Rock vocals with all its warcries and emotional grows. If one were to isolate the instrumentals from the vocals, he or she would be surprised to realize it’s the way I’m saying. Of course there are tracks as “Own Goal” that simply refuse to not follow the rules. There is nothing more Punk Rock than this as well. Pay close attention that singalong and emotional warcries are present all tracks. “Violence and Football” tells this tale much better than I would be able to. Again. Music has the ability of speaking out our emotions much better than we would be able to.
If you are a metalhead with sympathies for British Punk Rock “Love Ain’t Enough” is your album. It’s full of fun and great singalong warcries.
Straight Red “Love Ain’t Enough” will be released on August 16th via Made Of Stone Records.
Track Listing:
- Anthem
- Old Bastard
- Studs Up
- We Hate Us
- Own Goal
- Football Is Violence
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!