RAC/Oi!

Originally released in 1984, “Send in the Marines!” conquered the streets with its uncompromising anthems for the working class. This album is not a record for suckers, not music for blue-haired fringe wearers who leave the room triggered by every harsh note. Combat 84 expressed what they thought – without filters, without PR advisors, without fear of controversy, and if it went badly, they got punched in the mouth. The London band became a legend! And the album title is more relevant than ever when you consider the current riots by multicriminal gangs in Los Angeles and other major cities in the USA.  One of the cornerstones of the first Oi! wave, the band shaped the scene with their own distinctive sound: raw, direct riffs, captivating rhythms and lyrics that reflect the life of the working class. Every song is a declaration of war against hypocrisy, pseudo-rebellion and sham morals. Tracks like “Rapist”, ‘Poseur’ or “Trouble” slam hard, direct and uncompromising into your ears. No pretentious attitude, no overproduced soup trulli weight – just brutal, honest Oi! with the necessary portion of street credibility – served and performed by Chris “Chubby” Henderson on vocals (RIP, 2013).

RAC/Oi!

Finally available on vinyl again! The cult album by England’s most based punk/Oi! band from Ipswich in the county of Suffolk. With Condemned 84 you always know where you stand. Although all their albums sound somewhat similar, you can always rely on them to consistently bang the anvil like a hammer and take no prisoners!
For the 2023 edition, the cover has been colorized and minimally toned down. As most people probably don’t know, the original version of the CD and LP cover was indexed by the Federal Agency for the Protection of Children and Young Persons in the Media (formerly the Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Young Persons) in 2014. On top of that, the judiciary in Germany also took a closer look at the cover, without going into more detail. But since this shortcoming has been fixed, the world is once again a fragrant meadow of flowers ;-)

RAC/Oi!

Superb-aggressive Oi! music from Britain. Strike no. 4 from the C84 cycle of work was certainly one of the highlights in the career of the patriotic band from Ipswich in Suffolk. 12x (+ intro) the “auditory floor” is spanked so hard that you no longer know where up and down is. Awesome! Condemned 84 undoubtedly belongs in the top 3 of the eternal list of the best stable bands from the island.

RAC/Oi!

The legendary Skrewdriver album “Freedom What Freedom” from 1992 is back – now in an edition featuring a total of 18 tracks! The album not only includes 11 songs from the original release, but also 7 bonus tracks from the “Hail The New Dawn” LP, which are sure to delight fans and collectors alike. With “Freedom What Freedom,” the band made a successful return to its former strength. After the rather mediocre albums “The Strong Survive” and “Live & Kicking,” Skrewdriver rediscovered its original, raw sound – with a lineup that hadn’t changed in years: Ian Stuart on vocals, Stigger on guitar, Jon Hickson on bass, and John Burnley on drums. The multi-layered guitar playing is particularly noteworthy. Every solo is a delight, yet always in harmony with the structure and emotional depth of the songs. The drummer shines with precise percussion that makes the band’s sound even more impressive and powerful.

RAC/Oi!

“The Strong Survive” was the 7th regular studio album by the English legend around Ian Stuart Donaldson. The album was recorded in 1989 and released in early 1990 on Herbert Egoldt’s Cologne-based Rock-o-Rama Records label. On this album, guitarist Stigger demonstrated his skills in the service of Skrewdriver for the first time. He introduced the typical hard, metallic rock sound of the band’s late years, which was to characterize all subsequent productions.
With this record, Skrewdriver finally made the transition from an angry punk rock / Oi! / RAC band to a powerful rock band. The predecessor album “After The Fire” already hinted at this transition. Songs such as “Stand Proud”, “Backstabber” or the calm “Mist On The Downs” bear impressive witness to how Ian Stuart’s charismatic voice and biting social criticism repeatedly succeeded in creating new highlights. Long-time fans were already prepared to accept that the band were gradually introducing hard rock elements into their Oi! sound, but direct metal was a little too much of a good thing for many of the “bootboys”.

RAC/Oi!

Released in 1989 on Herbert Egoldt’s Cologne-based Rock-O-Rama Records label, the album ‘Warlord’ marked an idiosyncratic milestone in the Skrewdriver discography. The sixth Skrewdriver studio album was recorded by Mac (guitar), Merv Shields (bass), John Burnley (drums) and, of course, Ian Stuart (vocals + guitar). Musically, the band was influenced by the epic heaviness of American heavy metal greats such as Manowar. For the choir vocals, Ian Stuart brought in additional voices with Ken McLellan (Brutal Attack) and Paul Burnley (No Remorse) on board, or rather into the recording studio.

RAC/Oi!

In 1988, “Forward Into War” was released on Herbert Egolt’s Cologne-based Rock-O-Rama Records label. The band originally started out as a four-piece in 1985, but then found their ideal line-up on their debut album with Tom (drums), Andy (guitar) and Vernon (bass, vocals).

Vengeance played a heavy metal-influenced sound on the “Forward Into War” album, with a brilliantly brutal voice and patriotic to nationalistic lyrics. The three British musicians created their own unmistakable style, which is still unparalleled today and which, if you like, can easily be described as Oi! core. All the tracks are played hard and brutally (with the exception of “Wake Up England”) and are of a high standard. Unfortunately, singer Vernon, who was also responsible for the cover design at the time, passed away in 2008. It was said that he died of an incorrectly dosed medication. It’s always the same: Only the best die young!

RAC/Oi!

The next all-out attack from the remote expanses of Australian skinhead rock! With “Reckless Aggression,” Australian skinhead/Oi! punk band White Noise delivered a live album on Rock-O-Rama Records in 1990 that blurred the lines between heavy punk, hardcore, and the unleashed elemental force of skinhead rock. The first few seconds of the album are like a punch in the face – a merciless, angry performance that makes it clear from the very first note that this band has no intention of conducting diplomatic peace negotiations. White Noise’s musical roots are deeply embedded in the world of Oi! and punk rock, but “Reckless Aggression” goes one step further. The sound is reminiscent of the wild days of Motörhead – with a mixture of dirty rock ‘n’ roll and uncompromising hardcore that tears down everything in its path. In addition to music, this is also about an attitude, a mindset that swings through the record grooves like an imaginary wrecking ball.

RAC/Oi!

Anyone who believes that street rocknroll is merely a British cultural asset will get a full broadside from Down Under with “The First Assault”. White Noise from Fremantle, Western Australia, released a debut on Rock-O-Rama Records in 1989 that smashes through the windshield of mediocrity like a cobblestone. There is no lamenting here, there is confrontation. No room for poetry – just harsh truths and an unembellished confrontation with reality.

White Noise fuse Australian skinhead hardcore with British street sound. Tracks like “Clockwork Violence”, ‘Rebels’ or “We Don’t Need It” scream out their frustration in a world that sees the individual only as a consumer. This album is an expression of discontent set to music in one piece: harsh, loud, honest. No pathos, just full throttle. It’s about identity, anger, belonging – set to music with drilling guitars, booming bass lines, driving drums and a frontman who manifests his lines more than sings them.