Second to none - Wreck of rock n roll (2006)

Tracklist:
01. 40 hours
02. Dead and gone
03. Falling short
04. Fire started burning
05. Hardfall
06. Irish girl
07. Realist
08. No escape
09. Pardon ways victory
10. Sixteen
11. Won't deny
12. Tribute

Released by STN Records in 2006.

A San Antonio,Texas based streetpunk band that started back in 2004. The members where Benny Contreras on vocals and bass, Joe Cortez on lead guitar, Anthony Bennett on guitar and backup vox and Yogi Rodrigez on drums. The band was only active for a couple of years but in that time they appeared on two comp albums (American skinheads armed with the truth and Backstreets of American Oi! Vol.2) and released this album. This si your run of the mill "streetpunk" band that basicly just set itself apart from the rest with their political stance.

Its not really fair that i review a record of a genre that i loath but since they couldnt keep their hands out of the skinhead-jar they get whats comming for them.
I never really liked the songs on the comps but though that buying their full-length might change my feelings towards this band. It doesnt take more then their second track for me to understand that this is yet another "by the mold" streetpunk band. On their fourth track called Fire started burning i get a positive feeling thinking that i might enjoy this as a rockalbum and forget the Social distortion imagery but then i skip track and all hope fades. The band has a scurvy, piraty Irish song alá Dropkick murphy's called Irish girl. Was this necessary since no one of the members are even of Celtic descent? I know that they probably had listened to a lot of DM but how about being original (not even mentioning the graphic/symbolic ripoff's from Templars).
On the track Realist i notice one of the few things that sets them apart from the rest of most streetbands. Their politics. This is actually a conservative band and they set the facts straight with their chorus in this son "Im not a leftist/Im not a socialist/A little prejudice Cause im a realist" but that doesnt score any points with me.
Some of the songs are ok if you take them for what they are but in a genre that is actually focused on reaching the masses this band didnt go far and its plain to see why. If you want some good streetrock then go out and buy Mommy's little darling LP with Social distortion instead.
5/10

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