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River City Rebels
Racism, Religion, and War...
Since there is no worse punk than a jaded punk, skeptics might judge this first-time effort as verging on the naive. Fist shaking, middle-fingered salutes to the scalding strains of "Die, die, die, corporate America." Two-chord, bitter missives, "Fake dream, false hopes, religion is just one big lie...religion is conformity." Jeez, where have these guys been? Locked in a barn? Worse, maybe. According to publicist yore, the youthful Rebels grew up in rural Vermont, a conservative region that still clings to outdated attitudes and simple expectations. Relative to the band's surroundings, the Rebels' first album is just as startling a debut as Fugazi or Slint were to their scenes. Outraged energy devoted to reform (and revolution), with plenty of dense tuneage for the lobes. Driven by a raunchy, double-guitar crunch, the band's clamorous horn section (termed "brass punk") serves to underscore vocalist Ward's angry, vindictive lyrics. While some listeners might dismiss the unsophisticated text of "Country Is Doomed" or "Army Boy" ("Do what you're told, pushups in the cold"), the seven fresh-faced Rebels explode with a conviction and fervor that's absent from the current malaise. And if the music you listen to was/is driven by passion and necessity, you may want to relive that thrill with this disc. -gloria collins (Victory Records)
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