Rival - Take it back CD (1995)

Tracklist:
01. Grey day (Listen to the song)
02. Not long ago
03. We will win
04. Wattney's dream stout
05. Spirit of 67
06. Take it back
07. Heart of stone
08. New world order
09. American way
10. True white christian
11. New decade
12. Get'em out
13. In the pub
14. White magic

Released by Rock-O-Rama in 1995.

First song called Grey day has that Rogues sound i was missing on their last album but with somewhat of a metal twist to it. It talks about modern society and all its wrongs but doesnt really give an alternative. The fact that the band in later songs sing about concentration camps i think i prefer the modern world order any day.

The song Wattney's dream stout is sort of a rock'n'roll partysong about some unknown beer that reminds me about early Close shave songs like Singalong shave, Rockin with Fluffy and When the weekend comes. Never tried it but it sounds good.

Spirit of 67 is a song about the race-riots in Detroit 1967. Even with the racial theme this is probably the best song on the album together with the patriotic anthem American way.

American RAC free of metal and hardcore like it should sound and even with the racial themes that im not so found of there are more great nonpolitical songs on these records than on most modern Oi! bands releases. Dont be scared to download them since you are as much of a nazi when listening to these as you are a rapist when listening to GG Allin.
7/10

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Rival - The true will survive CD (1994)

Tracklist:
01. Backstreet violence
02. Fence
03. Secret army
04. Blind justice
05. Time marches on
06. Border patrol
07. Ten on one
08. Side by side
09. Kids of today
10. Skinhead Oi! Oi!

Released by Rock-O-Rama in 1994.

Way more political than their earlier album and a bit more cheesy at certain places but still a decent album with more leanings to Oi! than the metal RAC that was huge in UK around this time.
If you can look past the chamefully cliché skinheadanthem called Skinhead Oi! Oi! (haha) and some to extreme lyrics there are some really great songs here in Secret army and the singalong friendly Side by side.

Fun thing is both songs Fence and Border patrol had a view on illegal immigration that was seen as racist back in the 90's. If you take out some more extreme lyrics from the song Fence the views are today quite common when talking to many Americans (with citizenship that is). Guess they where ahead of their time....
7/10

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Lyrics for Kick in the head by Rival

Not the most creative lyrics but damn it's hard. Anthem!

Get out of my life you give me nothing but hell
A stab in the back i don’t wish you well

I’ll kick you in the head! I’ll kick you ’till you’re dead!
I’ll kick you in the head! I’ll kick you ’till you’re dead!

Cheated and lied you never said the truth
Turn on your friends it’s only self abuse

I’ll kick you in the head! I’ll kick you ’till you’re dead!
I’ll kick you in the head! I’ll kick you ’till you’re dead!

Rival - We got the right LP (1992)

Tracklist:
01. 1991
02. We got the right
03. Outcast
04. Survive
05. Loser
06. Kick in the head
07. Street kids
08. Society
09. Dead and buried
10. Smash
11. Elite
12. We get the blame

Released by Force Majeure in 1992.

The bands first and best release. Most songs are far from extreme but if you have a bleeding heart or a prejudice black/white perspective on what politics are ok and what are not then dont download it.
The record came in 2 different versions if i remember correct this being the first one and then later released on CD by Rock-O-Rama. The cd version was cut down one song (the song Smash) for obvious political reasons (take a listen and you will understand).

Not that into the political extreme songs (more childish than brave oppinions if you ask me) but the the more pride and skinhead oriented songs are superb. Great songs are We get the blame, We got the right and the uberviolent Kick in the head. The last mentioned song is one of my favourite songs by any band from the early 90's.
Classic album with a classic Detroit sound.
8/10

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Rival (introduction)

A great but politically extreme Detroit band started around 1990 by Pat (to the far right in the pic) and his friend Sean (second from the left) who used to play in The unclean. Pat had just left Almighty lumberjacks of death after arguing with the rest of the band and was psyched to start something of his own with a heavier Oi!-sound. After doing some shows with 2 other members they decided to invite their friends Jim (far left) and Bill (second from right) from the band Rogues to replace the original members.
The lineup now was Jim on vocals and drums, Pat on bass and Sean and Bill both on guitars. This lineup would hold until the band broke up in 1995.

Even if they never meant to have Rival as a political band the bandmembers views slipped out into the lyrics more and more to the point of becoming extreme. Unlike most bands that get labeled as nazibands (Arresting officers, Best defence etc) this band didnt leave much for discussion and displayed their views both on records and in interviews.

The band released their first record on cassette through Force Majeure and later re-released it on both LP/CD through Rock-O-Rama (who also released their 2 later full-lengths).

The band sounded like a violent twinbrother to Rogues and since Jim and Bill played in them both Rogues has always had a bad political rep.

After the breakup in 1995 Jim went on to play drums in NS band Max Resist and Bill went on to form Liberty 37 and then later Rebel hell.