Rad review of the new Urban Vietcong album from the good people at Punk Online!
“Hailing from Livorno, Italy, Urban Vietcong are a “Left-radical punk/oi/hardcore” band and have released a new album on Rebel Time Records. Storie Tra Bottiglie E Ciminiere is the sophomore release from the band and contains ten tracks full of energy, passion and rage as the self-described communists take on capitalism and fascism (now that’s what we like to see at punkonline.co.uk)
The album opens with a bass driven fifty-two seconds of spoken word (unfortunately, my Italian is not good enough to translate) and 6/1988 slowly builds and launches directly into the title track, Storie Tra Bottiglie E Ciminiere (stories between bottles and chimneys according to google translate) and this one features fast paced drums, angry and gritty lead vocals and soaring, scorching riffs with some sections of group vocals, a slower middle eight with big bass and ‘fists in the air’ “Oi, Oi, Oi” chant…great stuff!!!
Il Mio Paradiso Il Mio Inferno (My Heaven, My Hell) again features an excellent gravel-throated lead vocal, group backing vocals and a powerful, yet melodic backing with big bass runs, serrated riffs and runaway guitar solos that just add to the raw power on display…this is 2019 punk rock at it’s best! The intricate drum introduction to I Dannati Della Terra (The Damned Of The Earth) sets up a chunky street-punk rocker with some serious muscle and then Drunken Sailor a rambunctious rendition of the sea-shanty with accordions, banjos and, a Dropkick Murphys vibe.
The riffs that introduce Cantico Dei Condannati (Song Of The Condemned) help lay the foundation for a melodic and powerful punk rock track with hints of Cock Sparrer whereas Fastido E Aggregazione (Fastido And Aggregation???) is a much faster and aggressive track with skate-punk accelerated beats and segments of bass led, chunky singalong punk rock.
On Gli Invisibili (The Invisibles) Urban Vietcong lead in with a searing lick and produce a meaty punk rock song replete with Oi like choruses and stalking verses and this is followed with the penultimate song, Temprati Come L’aaciaio with a gritty vocal full of anger that explodes out of your speakers, enhanced with group back vocals and a big bass driven backing, with a military drum, plaintive guitar section setting up a pulsating finale!
This truly excellent punk rock album concludes with Uno Tres Uno Dos where a fun solo leads to an engaging riff, pounding beats and a fun sounding romp into fast paced Oi territory that is bound to be a crowd pleaser live.”