| CD Review - Dirty Protest EP |
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Wednesday, 09 July 2008 |
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| CD EP |
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| Review by JD 19 January 2008 |
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There’s a school of thought which believes that music created in areas of social depravation or at times of social discontent is likely to be that bit more extreme. Whether that be metal, blues, hip hop or punk. The anger, the vitriol, the angst is more pronounced – the lyrics or the song itself is a bastard child of the prevailing social conditions. Whether that’s bollocks or not, I can’t say. I do know that I’m not that familiar with Boston, but if there is any truth in the assertion stated above and judging by Dirty Protest’s EP then Boston must be one of the last places on earth in which anyone would want to raise a family. That’s not a claim, its not a fact, it may not even be anywhere the truth, I’m merely musing aloud after having just finished listening to the seven tracks on this CD.
The Dirty Protest EP is like a good, hard, swift kick to the nads; its brutal, it knocks the wind out of you and lasts for a few short minutes (though unlike the kick to the nads, it’s a pleasant experience).
The tracks on the CD are linked together by a continuing monologue on the word ‘Fuck’. I didn’t realise how many different ways the word could be used (but yes, on consideration, I’ve used it in many of the ways mentioned). It’s amusing in its own way, and thankfully, is kept short enough, and pertinent enough, to not detract from the songs.
Opener “Shut It” sets the precedent for the rest of the disk. Its fast, its frantic, its gut-wrenchingly ferocious. Think sort of Anti-Flag meets SubHumans. Think manic pits, think broken arms, think sweat and beer drenched bodies. Speed that up and you might come close. It’s not all about speed though “Shut It” has a killer melody (as do all of the tracks), and you’ll soon find yourself screaming along. The end of the track is like a plane going down, its speeds up and you’ll have an urge to hang on to the nearest solid thing. Don’t! Just go with it, like a good ride, the denouement is worth the scare.
“Parasite” is a dirty, dirty ska tune, monstrous in its riffs, but sublime in its filthy upstrokes. I’m not sure whether this is ska-core, heavy ska or what - I’m pretty crap with genres - I just know that if you don’t find yourself wanting to get up to this, you’re not only dead, you must have, when alive, lived in Milton Keynes.
After letting the listener know that “Fuck” comes from the German ‘flicken’ track three – “Gun Bullet Fate” starts. Another fast-paced tune that moves faster than Louis Hamilton, ripping the chequered flag to pieces on its way past the finishing post, leaving a trail of chaos behind.
“Computer Says No” is superb; the stand out track on the EP. (Is it really introduced by C3PO?). This, more than any of the other tracks, showcases the excellent songwriting skills and grasp of melody Dirty Protest have. It lacks nothing in the way of kick in the nads ferocity, but it harbours a marvellous melody, some simple but exquisitely right basslines and some locked-in-tight drumming. A fantastic tune that any self-respecting punk (or music fan) should have on their iPod.
“Fucked Up” is some heavy, heavy punk that rages for the short time it burgeons out of the speakers, whilst “Fishead Rice” gives, for the briefest of moments, a little mellow guitar, treated with some reverence before pounding back into the more familiar riffery.
Before we get on to the final track, I just want to clarify something. This isn’t all noise, speed, distortion, it seems to me that first and foremost they’re just excellent songs that just happen to fit the punk genre, played with intensity and fire. These guys can obviously play, they can write great tunes, they can pull out a great melody but they’ve also got more bite than an unfed rottweiler.
Considering there are seven tracks on the EP, it’s all over so quickly, but the final track “Dead Inside” another filthy ska tune is perfectly placed, not only to wrap up a great CD but also leaving the listener wanting more. All in all, I must say that I’m impressed by my introduction to Boston punk. I’d certainly recommend Dirty Protest and, on listening to this EP, looking forward to catching them live sometime in the near future. If they can cut it live like they can on record, then it must be one helluva show!
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Note: My apologies to Dirty Protest, I was under the impression that they came from Boston, they in fact, are based in Horncastle. Rather than change the piece (as I quite like Horncastle), I thought I would leave the Boston comments in as it would change the colour of the review. Feel free to substitute Horncastle for Boston if you so wish. In future I will be a little more thorough in my research. JD 22 January 08
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This page was last updated Tuesday, 22 January 2008
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