Collision Course – Ländfill
(No Label)
10″ Vinyl | DL
Out Now
New Scottish band Collision Course capture the excitement, energy and tuneage of UK82 punk on a record with a less simplistic message that takes aim at consumerism. Nathan Brown recommends it to fans of releases on punk labels Riot City and No Future.
Collision Course got together with the intention of writing and recording in the style of UK punk bands released on labels like Riot City, No Future, Secret and others in the early 80s, referred to posthumously as UK82. Their idea was to focus in on one topic or issue for each release. For their debut it is consumerism and its link to imminent environmental collapse. Even the band name fits with the overall theme.
The assembled trio all have some serious experience. Drummer Dan used to drum for Scots anarch-oi heavyweights Oi Polloi, featuring on their seminal In Defence Of Our Earth. The other two legs of the stool are refugees from England with punk rock history. Guitarist Rat was responsible for the one man vegan straight edge assault that was Statement, alongside time spent in Cracked Cop Skulls, Riot/Clone, The Apostles and others. Alan, on bass and vocals, has a string of great bands under his belt including Chineapple Punx, Thingy, Whole In The Head, The Shorts etc… and still occasionally plays with Hack Job and Abrazos, two bands on the south coast of England.
The outer cover is a brown envelope with no graphics other than the Collision Course logo, which is also stamped on the white labels. They are making a point. Branding to convince you to buy stuff is bullshit. Once you pull out the full colour inner sleeve you are confronted with the contrast between an Ikea style show home with the suitably umlauted title (the front) and a sky on fire behind a landfill site (the rear). As the double sided A4 lyric sheet makes clear, Collision Course can see that the two are connected.
The opening lines of Horrendous Consumerism probably best illustrates where Collision Course are coming from:
“Raping the earth for your own selfish needs.
Plastic confections are filling our seas”
As well as accusing those causing the destruction, they also take a look through the planet’s eyes on I Bear The Scars
“Carve through my flesh with your toxic machine.
Tear out my heart for nefarious means”
With other titles like Commoditised, Hill of Skulls, Entropic Parasite, Buy and Die, this themed mini-abum (or is it a concept EP?) is not taking any prisoners. The irony of releasing a physical product to spread this message is not lost on them. The run out etching on the two sides of the record ask the questions “The voice of reason?” and “or another waste of resources?”.
Kicking off with powerful snare rolls (think Emotional Blackmail by the UK Subs) before motoring off in a GBH style, the song Landfill sets this 10 inch moving in fine style. Chunky, fast but tuneful and catchy as hell, most of the songs could pass for a missing track off the ubiquitous (and brilliant) Punk And Disorderly compilation album. It’s as if they have distilled all the best bits. The full sounding distorted bass and overall quality of the recording gives this a more modern vibe but other than that it’s on target. If you’re considering getting any of the crop of Captain Oi UK82 reissues you should make sure you buy this too!
With a fast drum beat, speedy riff and occasional solos, throw in a catchy chorus and away you go. The Collision Course song writing approach is very much based around these memorable choruses which tend towards repetition of one word or phrase, and in this case delivering a pithy message every time. No throw away nonsense (do you see what I did there?!). The couple of slightly slower mid-paced numbers are driving head nodders. Entropic Parasite has a neat twangy guitar solo and Commodities uses a repeated simple guitar melody throughout to break things up.
There are a couple of moments when the way all 3 instruments lock in reminds me of 90s Discharge tribute Disaster, but for the most part it’s that UK82 sound. Even though they may not thank me for saying it, there’s a touch of the Exploited at their best too. Job well done, lads.
Alan’s vocals will be recognisable to anyone who remembers his old band Chineapple Punx and who has heard his dulcet tones on Abrazos tunes. This means that the overall effect of Collision Course is often not far off what Chineapple Punx and fellow 90s DIY punks Dog On A Rope did. If you loved them (like me) you’ll be pleased, but Collision Course have improved upon the 80s inspired recipe.
You can obtain this record for a very reasonable DIY price from the band at gigs or find ordering details on their Facebook page
Also available via bandcamp
~
Words by Nathan Brown. You can read more from Nathan on his Louder Than War archive over here.
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