CL1 & First Offense - This is rust belt street punk CD (2010)

Tracklist:
01. CL1 - L.A.C.
02. CL1 - Katey
03. CL1 - No piece of mind
04. CL1 - Drinking class heroes
05. CL1 - Standing strong
06. First Offense - The Opening Bell
07. First Offense - The Final Call
08. First Offense - Rats In The City
09. First Offense - 27 Kisses
10. First Offense - The Worst Revenge

Released by Dim Records in 2010.

A record like this wakes me up to the fact that we all live in so different worlds from one man to another. In my world street punk can be used in the sentence "Nevermind that band they are on some candycoated street punk bullshit these days" or "Posing on their band picture with baseball bats like some retarded street punk band". This is all natural for me but at the same time around the bible belt in the US bands call themselfs that same thing and even plaster it on their records. This is scary since i don't even think the word "street punk" should exists because most of the street punk bands are the least street out of all the punk genres today. Whats even more scary is that i have come to enjoy some of these bands lately. Bands like Pistol Grip make some awesome music and Noi!se is a perfect example of Oi! and Streetpunk mixed into a functional crossbreed. Sadly enough both of these bands on the record are far from my favourite in the genre.

CL1 offers nothing new on the record and has simply taken songs from earlier releases (all available for download on this site). Even though their old it's a nice selection of their better songs (Drinking class heroes, L.A.C.) and represent the better half of this record.

First offense is a band that i must have some sort of sadistic relationship to since i have bought every single release by them but only like about 10% of their songs. Hell i even have the first printed copy of their first printed release with a handnumbred "1 out of 100" in the sleeve. If the band ever release anything else in the future i will probably buy it day one and hate it just like the rest of their stuff, it's wierd but can't be helped.

An ok band offering old songs and a mediocre band offering shitty songs don't really make a good record in my book.
4/10

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First offense - The faith to stand your ground CD (2007)

Tracklist:
01. Fallen soldiers
02. Downtown at dawn
03. The fight must go on
04. The wayside
05. Rise above (Black flag cover)
06. Killing time
07. Pile of broken glass
08. Dirty Americans
09. Laced for battle '07
10. Courage in the crowd
11. Carry on

Released by Step Up! Records in 2007.

I quite enjoyed their split with C.L.1 the other year but i guess before something gets good it has to go really really bad. Checking around on the internet i notice the record has recieved some quite positive reviews so i guess it's just me who cant stand it. The vocalist is annoying at best, the drummer does his own little thing unaware of what the rest of the band is doing and the lyrics are cheesy as hell (especially Pile of broken glass). If it wasnt for the fact that the band gives away the record as a free download i would have pointed the "sellout finger" at them. Guess i just dont understand the band, their sound or what they are trying to achieve with it.
5/10

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Or download the album for free from their bandcamp site here.

First offense - Stranded in the combat zone 7'' (2005)

Tracklist:
01. Sinking ships
02. Dirty Americans
03. Courage in the crowd
04. Downtown at dawn

Released by Step Up! Records in 2005.

Thanks to Matt for this record. Sad to hear that both your sites are down.

Before i start trashing the EP i must add that this is not in any way bad music, its just not the music i like and as far from what i believe true punk sounds one can possibly get.

Its that all to familuar street-punk mixed with rock'n'roll sound that we hear over and over again as if a whole generation of punks/skins grew up on Rancid and Hudson Falcons alone. I can see that some like this and i dont make it my mission to trash bands who play this music but a band that seems to reappear under the banner of Oi! has to be called out on it. This is not Oi!, bottom line.

Their second song on the EP is an ok rocksong that grows on you but other than that the EP is quite weak. Especially the song Courage in the crowd, who the fuck put that song together? Its a bloody mess!
5/10

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The record can still be bought at:
Interpunk

First offense - Rock n' roll bad guys (2005)

Tracklist:
01. Lets start the revolution
02. One fight left
03. Sidelines
04. Stand strong, walk proud
05. Affliction
06. Streets are ours
07. Till' death do us part

Released by Step up! Records in 2005.

To be honest i have no idea if this release was on CD or LP since this particular one is an onlinerecord. The band now offers it for free through the internet.

I remembered that i liked this album but now going back to it i cant really understand whats so great about it. As streetpunk it works fine but since i never been much for that music i dont understand why i liked it in the first place. Dan sounds a bit to punk for me and even though the choruses are quite catchy there isnt really much that stands out in a positive way.
Basicly your run of the mill streetpunk. If your into that you'll like it but if your taste is like mine then i think you will be dissapointed.
Since i remember that i liked this album and hated the later ones so i am not looking forward to reviewing those next.
6/10

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Or download the record without the last track from their bandpage for free.

First offense - The army of youth 7'' (2000) + 2004 re-recorings

Tracklist:
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Original 2000 EP:
01. Kids that count
02. United youth
03. Fuck love
04. Dirty fucking hippies
05. Laced for battle
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2004 re-recordings:
01. Kids that count
02. Dirty fucking hippies
03. Fuck love
04. Laced for battle
05. Lets start the revolution

The EP was released by Sewer Scum Recordings in 2000.
The re-recordings was released in 2004 as the Still standing strong EP. Dont know if it was a proper release or a demo though. (Thanks to Jay IRC for sending the 2004 version in)

A band from Ohio that started out as a pure punkproject in 1999 but later changed into more of a streetpunk/Oi! mixture in the mid 00's. The original lineup was Dan on vocals, Troi on bass, Tom & Bryan on guitar, Smitty on drums. The lineup has changed a lot and today only the singer is the original member left.
A band i really liked in the beginning but to be honest i cant really stand the later stuff they have released, the fact that they seem to suck up to Old firm casuals dont really earn them any points in my book either.

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The album:
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Its quite fun that i have the first copy of the first release by a band that i dont really like anymore. But this first EP is actually really good.
Its not in any way a through and through Oi! record but their influences are taken from various original UK bands and that can be heard here.
The coverart is fantastic in that DIY-style and the same goes for the music. Pure punk at streetlevel.
Both Kids that count and Dirty fucking hippies are fantastic the best song is Laced for battle. A track about punk/skin unity, a cliché subject i know but it sounds great.
My big question is why did you guys change your sound when it worked this great?
8/10

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