Viva La Revolution – Black Bombers (Easy Action)
Yeah, alright, it took a little while to get to me.
And yeah, by now you've heard they've broken up.
Which, if there were any justice in the world, would've been more worthy of a spot on the ABC than that meeting between two psychopath grifters in New York a couple of weeks back.
(Sorry? well, one of them was on trial and spouting lies and misinformation every time he turned up, and the other is yet to be on trial but absolutely should be but hey. She'll be right, mate.)
Don't ruin a review of a rock'n'roll band by dragging politics in?
A kind of distraction, a kind of release
And our reaction? All hail the commander in chief
Too late, Black Bombers have already done that themselves. The CD comes in a 7" package with a folding poster with lyrics and images. Stylishly bleak as usual, the poster is simply Madame de la Guillotine and boy, do Alan Byron's lyrics let rip.
This is one seething, angry LP. The Barman has already described much of it. I'll add that if you say you like tough rock'n'roll and you don't have this in your collection, then you may as well follow The Wiggles. Old deaf bastards like me have the best taste in rock'n'roll, let's face it.
Look, I was born in Black Bombers’ town. Australia paid my parent's passage out here and it proved a smart move. Honestly, I find it difficult to reconcile the UK of the early 1960s with the UK of today. Certainly Australia has altered, some things for the better, others for the worse. But in the UK, successive delusional dingbats have somehow managed to cling to the rudder and, heedless of consequences, the ship of state is a debt-ridden, clotted, polluted mess.
It seems almost normal to know that the UK Prime Minister is a glad-handing chump so out of touch with normal people that somehow or other major issues are glossed over and everyday life is becoming harder and harder. And somehow or other he has increased their own personal wealth and, somehow or other, it doesn't affect them (so, of course, it shouldn't affect anyone else).
But don't let that fool you. Byron's songs have several layers to them, and are often situational;
You'll have to tackle your truths, before you get through
Bleed for that thrill, fight for the kill
You don't need to know precisely what he's responding to. Aside from anything else, you'll be too busy slam-dancing around the room.
And yeah, “Revolution” is arguably a better ALBUM than their first. I confess I like the sound of the first better (that's Paul Gray capturing the overwhelming dark wave of the band in their rehearsal room) I am unreliably informed that the building which house the Black Bomber's rehearsal room has been condemned, but “Revolution” is a peach of an LP.
Steve Crittall's second guitar adds a raucous fourth dimension to the band's sound, and they're still world-class. A lot of punk bands exist, railing about the world's injustices, blaming everyone except themselves.
From “Last Bite”:
We got ourselves out, but we let ourselves down
Our pride as a nation, in the hands of a clown
I'm sure you can guess the inspiration, but really, the meaning and implication cuts across national borders. There's insight, sadness, fury and acceptance swirling through Byron's lyrics.
The music, though. That's a combination of brute force and incision, overload and tension.
There really haven't been a lot of bands I regret not seeing over the last ten years or so. Sure I'd like to have seen Cosmic Psychos and feedtime more often, but there are a lot of bands I could say that of.
But, Pinto Beans (with Harold Salisbury on sax, Norm Helm on bass, Tom Hutchinson on drums and on Tom Vernon guitar), and the Harold Salisbury Quartet - that would be two. Black Bombers ... hell. All three bands you'd cheerfully drive around the country to see. UK, that is. Through their endless number of horribly confusing roundabouts, their cluttered cities and abandoned towns ... yep. If I lived in that country I'd be furious, especially knowing I was so helpless in a place which is propped up by decent folk struggling against waves of selfishness, lies and incompetence from the top down. Don't look up the Post Office scandal. It's beyond disgraceful.
What the hell else could you do but play in a band? or get hammered down the Hare and Hounds while the Bombers laid down their trademark hour-long avalanche in your ears?
You lot. You bums out there. If you don't have this, or their first LP, get to Easy Action and order it in ... tell 'em some old deaf bastard sent you.
No, it's not on vinyl. Not this time. They knew they couldn't continue.
On the other hand, there is some cause to rejoice, of course. There's a seven-inch single. You know what you have to do. - Robert Brokenmouth
A winner for all you Rock Action grinners and the ideal way to kick off 2024. From the ominous opener “No Pity” to the heavy and righteous cover of Bowie’s “Boys Keep Swinging” that closes out “Viva La Revolution”, this is rolled gold.
It’s also the second album from Birmingham, UK, outfit Black Bombers and a firm sonic step forward with the expansion of the core trio to a quartet. Newest guitarist Steve Crittall (The Godfathers, UK Subs) adds sonic variety and bite, and the production is first class.
There’s lots of history in the Black Bombers ranks and it's reflected in this record. Besides service in The Godfathers, bassist Darren "It Ended In Tears" Birch, was in UK sleaze rockers Gunfire Dance and a hired hand for ex-Heartbreaker Walter Lure and The Damned’s Brian James. Drummer Dave Twist played with Dave Kusworth, as did guitarist-vocalist Alan Byron.
Not normally a fan of phased guitar but it suits the expansive “Last Bite” to a tee. A Thundersesque guitar line similarly makes “Last Loose Lips” the Dolls-tinged killer it is. There's a well-honed engine room at work here and they make the emphatic “Pretty Boy” struts like a rooster on angry pills. Alan Byron wouldn’t qualify for his local church choir which is why he had to end up in rock and roll, and he spits out this one especially like it’s a bottle of bad cough mixture.
“What Do You See” adds delicacy with chiming guitar-work and a wistful vocal. “The Price” brings things back to street-level with more withering Crittall guitar.
It’s seriously hard to pick a high point but “Good Times Gone” is on the short list with its ragged melody line and Byron versus Crittall guitar weaving. At four-and-a-half minutes, it’s also the album’s longest song.
The band's 2016 eponymous long-player, singles and EP were all self-recorded in the band’s rehearsal room. “Black Bombers upped the ante for Viva La Revolution” by installing Jim Jones & The Righteous Mind producer Alex McGowan behind the faders in his own Space Eko Studio in London. A capital decision. He's mainrtained the band's rawness, but has given it definition separation to enhance the parts of the sum
You just know that comparisons are odious and your own reference points will vary, so go here and listen for free and then apply your own.
Once you’re done listening, the purchase link for 2024’s first great album is right here. Ever hear the term “no-brainer”? - The Barman
