Fighting chance - ...thus hope fades (2003)

Tracklist:
01. Intro
02. Seventeen
03. Deathsquad
04. Cowards pride
05. Bottoms up
06. Get out
07. Propaganda machine
08. Blue collar pride
09. Take back your pride
10. City of the dead
11. Never again
12. The cost
13. Silence is murder

Released by Insurgence records in 2003.

A band formed in Baltimore summer of 2001 by the friends Bullseye on vocals and Brian chance on guitar. They first called themselfs Lost cause but in 2002 they changed it to Fighting chance and recorded a 5-track demo that was to be called City of the dead (this one i am still looking for). Pissed of by all the neonazi bands growing strong around them they contacted the Canadian anti-facist label Insurgence records that let them on their Workingclass pride world wide compilation in late 2002. They also appeared on local compilation album Baltimore: 28 - Nazis: 0 that was released by the local anti-facist group.
Being involved musically with political groups like these are never good in my oppinion but the band says it themselfs that they dont want to be looked at as a politicall band but more of a group of people standing up for the underdogs and saying no to "fencesitting".
After many people joining and leaving their group they finally in 2003 had a somewhat stable group with Bullseye on vocals, Brian chance and Mike Hock on guitar, Ben (their old drummer) on bass and Matt Mayben in drums (Matt also used to play in Darkest hour and Hell to pay).
With this lineup they released their first real record (this one).

So what does Bernando think?
They use writings of one of the most known Marxists on their recordartwork and are known for socialicing with the ARA. They sing about the 6 millions killed by the nazis in WWII but never even mention the 6 million+ that was murdered by their red counterpart. This makes them as blind and judging as bands like Extreme Hatred that stands on the other side of the fence.
Also i cant understand that a group in 2003 still uses the word "fencesitter". Seriously havent we all seen that the world aint black/white and standing up for yourself is way more couragous then joining a side and finding strength in the old "us against them" mentality?

All this aside i was really possitive when i first heard them. I was expecting a pc-group that was singing about the starving kids in Nicaragua, inviromental pollution (not that i dont care about them) but found a band with somewhat the same values as me. Against facism, anti-establishment, pro working class and a damn good album to went these oppinions. Seventeen and Bottoms up being my favourite tracks i also like the track Cowards pride that swings at all the neonazis in USA.
Being a band consisting off all workers (a plumber, a constructionworker, a farmer and an electrician) all their pro workingclass lyrics feel way more true then most other leftwing bands often do. Simply put these guys dont rebell just to rebell, they actually have a cause.
Big plus on the albums artwork featuring pictures from the 1914 Colorado mine camp massacre where 11 workers was killed by government thugs.
A damn great album with the best from hardcore, punk and Oi! all blended well with even greater lyrics (just stray away from the tracks Silence is murder and Never again).

UPDATE: One of the bandmembers got in contact with me explaining their very onesided view of politics on this album (should have criticised Stalinism to). What was going on in their hometown at the time they where blinded by the hate for rightwingers and it was shown in their lyrics.
No shame for old actions or lyrics just growing up and seing both sides of the coin. Lets hope the boners in (for example) Extreme hatred can do that to hehe.
8/10

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