Broken Heroes & Armed Suspects - For the punks and skins LP (2011)

Tracklist:
01. Armed supects - Broken & bruised
02. Armed supects - For the punks and skins
03. Armed supects - Leather tramp
04. Armed supects - Regret
05. Armed supects - ...and on the speakers
06. Armed supects - My life
07. Armed supects - Left to the sharks
08. Armed supects - Viking quest
09. Broken Heroes - Zero tolerance
10. Broken Heroes - Newton mutant
11. Broken Heroes - Oi! don't pay the bills
12. Broken Heroes - Park west diner
13. Broken Heroes - PC bastards
14. Broken Heroes - Rich mans war
15. Broken Heroes - Skinhead Rock'N'Roll
16. Broken Heroes - Sick
17. Broken Heroes - Cougars
18. Broken Heroes - You Suck!

Released by Oi! The Boat in 2011.

One of the albums i was most psyched about before it's release. Broken heroes which is one of my favourite oldschool US bands hadnt released a proper album for over 6 years and Amred Suspects had just released their phenomenal acoustic album the year before. So.... on paper this looked like the perfect split but as soon as i watched that awful musicvideo that was supposed to spark some interest before the release i knew something was a bit of. First of all i noticed that AS vocalist had started rapping in the songs and secondly this album entitled "For the punks and skins" seemed to cateer for everyone except the diehard punks and skins.

Armed suspects might be a bit to soft for me but i have always liked them and their East Coast attitude. This time around they really let me down and i cant understand what went through their heads when recording these songs. One proper good song in the bunch (Left to the sharks). AS are all nice guys the few times i have talked to members but this is one of those albums that should be dismissed and forgotten for the sake of everyone involved.

Broken heroes didnt get their comeback with this album but the reason was not really "bad songs" but instead "old songs". Most of these songs are re-recordings of old songs or songs that had already been released on comps by Neck Records etc. Broken heroes DID prove that they still deserved the scenes respect in 2012 when they changed vocalist (Scotty Violence who actually played in Armed Suspects before) and released what in my oppinion is a modern classic called "This is Oi!". Superb album and the comeback this band of old needed.

Weak A-side and a good but far from exciting B-side resulted in the biggest letdown of 2011. Stay away from this record and purchase "This is Oi!" from 2012 instead.
5/10

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Rebellion

Armed suspects - For the punks and the skins

Note to US Oi! bands: Don't look at what retards like Skinhead Rob does and copy it.