Reviews

AGAINST THE FLOW/STRANGLE ALL THE BOYBANDS
OVERGROUND RECORDS - By Big Cheese

Second and third albums by sturdy UK Streetpunks

Punks of a certain age will remember Iain Kilgallon as singer with ’80’s band Intensive Care, a perfectly respectable outfit to be sure, but he’s achieved much more with Beerzone: a sturday, workmanlike outfit with a welcome touch of humour. As Iain says in the sleeve notes to this round up of the band’s second and third albums, their big break came when they met Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys, who released their debut full length ‘They Came, They Saw, They Conquered’, on his Flat Records imprint. Heavy touring all over the world strengthened the band, and they went on to record ‘Strangle All The Boybands’ for Cyclone in 2001 and ‘Against The Flow’ on Beer City in 2004. Both were strong releases and this is a welcome opportunity to pick them up if you missed them first time round, the only question to someone as literal-minded as me being why Overground chose to put them on this disc in reverse chronological order? I don’t suppose it matters really, but still….

4 out of 5 stars.
Shane Baldwin

BIG CHEESE MAGAZINE - May 07

BEERZONE - Against The Flow/Strangle All The Boy Bands:

Beerzone celebrate ten years in existance by re-releasing their first two albums as one package. In total you get twenty nine tracks of British Street Punk from the albums ‘Against The Flow’ and ‘Strangle All The Boy Bands’. This release shows the decent side of a scene that usually shoots itself in the foot with some of the more moronic elements linked to it. Iain and Co really do the business here though and on the strength of these two albums I find it almost criminal that they’ve been ignored by labels in this country. Hi-lights from the ‘Against The Flow’ album. include ‘Don’t Give a Fuck’, ‘HA HA HA’ and ‘Trolley Dolley’. Hi-lights from the ‘Strangle All The Boy Bands’ include ‘Duncan Disorderly’, ‘Punk Rock Party’, ‘Posh Spice’ and ‘Get The Beers In’. If Street Punk is your thing then check these guys out. If they must be compared to some it has to be ‘Peter And The Test Tube Babies’ meets ‘The Exploited’ but in all fairness Beerzone have more talent than the latter. A band well worthy of being checked out so what you waiting for - Do It! 8/10

BEERZONE “Against The Flow”/”Strangle All The Boybands”

Reissue of the long out of print second & third Beerzone records, this is a great intro for anybody not familiar with this long running band. 28 tracks of Peter & The Test Tube Babies meet Major Accident style British streetpunk & Oi. “Against The Flow” is the better of the two LPs contained here, but who in their right mind could argue with a record called “Strangle All The Boybands”? Really fun from start to finish, with songs that will stick in your head, this is recommended for sure. Another great release from our friends at Overground! (www.overgroundrecords.co.uk) JRM

Against The Flow from Interpunk website:

Arguably the finest UK street punk band and Scotland’s favourite punk rock sons, Beerzone, return with their third, and best album to date. Finally capturing the raw energy and power of their live shows on record, “Against The Flow”, cements the bands reputation as the finest hooligan export that money and beer can buy. “Against The Flow” is the hardest, yet at the same time, most melodic record the band have produced, and stand as a testament to both the time that they spent in the studio and natural song-writing ability. No-one is safe this time around, as Beerzone set their sites on Michael Jackson ands whatever it is that he gets up to when the sun goes down on Neverland, the folly of Prohibition, the dangers of internet love and more, and once the targets are acquired, Beerzone proceed to blow them away with their patented sing-a-long choruses. A defining moment in the history of street punk…

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Author:
Jennie
Published:
May 08 2007 / 4:57 pm