Resistance-Self-Titled Album (or as I call it THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!) D-beat Punk perfection as reviewed by Mark Jenkins.

February 12, 2025

Resistance-Self-Titled Album (or as I call it THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!) D-beat Punk perfection as reviewed by Mark Jenkins.

Resistance-Self-Titled Album (or as I call it THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!) D-beat Punk Perfection as reviewed by Mark Jenkins.

Ok, you know I loved the demo and have been shouting my praise on this band from the fucking rafters since their killer debut show. You should also be aware that the band contains extreme music royalty from superb musical entities such as Desecrator, Abraxxas and Remains, The Kill, Fuck I'm Dead, Mid Youth Crisis to name a few bands these legends have been part of. Plus the band is on the most bullshit-free label in Australia, Disdain Records. And that's all fine and dandy, but does the music hits the target, you best believe it hits the bullseye with a rocket launcher shell. This is one of the greatest D-beat albums from an Aussie band ever. Explosive, captivating and catchy gutter punk perfection.

The album certainly utilises all the deep experience and expertise of this trio. The songwriting and creative focus is often a missing piece for most D-beat bands. However, all ten tracks are intelligent and very gripping tales that stun you with both energy and ability to make you want to play on repeat, evidently this review took longer than expected as I would want to play every track about 5 times. And even as a shitty faux music journalist, this never happens-9/10 releases make me want to fast forward or skip tracks.

Genre wise for those playing at home it most definitely sits in the epic stadium crust/D-beat or Neocrust arena. Think Tragedy, From Ashes Rise, Wolfbrigade, fellow Aussies Dark Horse, Martyrdod, Fall of Efrafa, Disfear and Skitsystem for reference points. It has all the rawness of original crust punk with more melody and sublime production/mastering.

This self-titled classic debut consists of ten tracks with four of these from the stunning demo. Sick Broken System is the raging opener with vocals consisting of a hive of bees in one's mouth, pure vitriolic aggression with unhinged pummeling drums and psychotic guitar warfare. That's how you open an album people. Rifle And Scythe opened the demo and it was so obvious why, insane vocal gymnastics, wicked tempo changes, gripping tension and an ending to rival Tragedy's finest moments. Broken Glass is an epic adventure with a not-so-subtle lyrical spotlight on Methamphetamine. Man, what an insane riff fest is the opening section-twitchy, angsty and catchy as hell. This like every track is layered with Jay's thunderous drumming magnificence, diverse vocals from each band member and as mentioned earlier; very concise and purposeful songwriting. The next track Used To Be Young put my head in a spin because I wasn't expecting it at all, even with a sleazy saxophone- I haven't been so enamoured with a track since Fear's classic New York's Alright if you like Saxophones. Man, the gang vocals are solid and it even has that Vicious Circle or Agent Orange-style guitar fuckery. Splendid and total anthem. And closing out side A is the wild gem that is the schizophenic tune they call The World Isn't Changing. Frenzied tempo combined with a total commitment to cramming as much varied slices of killer genres-fastcore,thrash, powerviolence and old school crust into one song. And it works so immaculately.

Side B doesn't ease off with This Silence which definitely has that solid Swede D-beat vibe and the vocals are so gritty and acerbic. An excellent way to start the second half with a much darker type of track (I love when D-beat focuses on more than ridiculous distortion). Another instant classic song. It's Too Late keeps you on your toes also, there is equal measures of rocking thrash-style riffs matched by very dirty hardcore vocals.No boredom here, these fuckers are dedicated to keeping you intrigued and entertained. At What Cost is one of my faves as the guts of it is reminiscent of insanely great melodic hardcore, one mountain of a song. Fuck yes, flawless anthem. The album is closed out by two tracks that were on the previously mentioned demo. Resistance is a colossal track because the buildup is immense and tense, like an audio anxiety attack. The cohesion of the band screams with every second of this song, it impressed the fuck out of me and I am a huge Crust and D-beat devotee. The type of track I wanna sing down the street whilst setting cop cars or racists on fire. Monstrous is one adjective that describes both the album as a whole and unquestionably the closer and huge live fave, The Death Of A Salesman. I realise production and mastering can add that special sauce to a track, but how the heck did this trio get such a herculean sound out of every track on this release. Back to the said track, it has a glorious moody tone and it is one underappreciated aspect of this genre, the ability to be deeply emotive whilst being ferociously hostile.

Resistance's debut album is a sensational musical document to be worshipped and enjoyed. Not many bands stamp their authority so firmly on a debut release, aside from the originators of D-beat and very few are remotely as impeccable as this glorious record. Cannot see an album that will beat this as one of the year's finest releases.

Buy it and worship these legends!!!.