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March 29, 2024


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Whiskey Rebels
Whiskey Rebels (GMM Records)

By: Vinnie Apicella

From Pressure Point to Whiskey Rebels to bare knuckle brawling and a bottle o' 90 proof to wash it down-- The "Sacto" scene appears the latest in a regional uprising that finds a flurry of Punks foaming with pride and power. Got about four or five too many down this problematic road of self-titled repression and self-indulgence that follows a resistant and rasied in ruins philosophy that's like a fucking rolling pin doing a job along your spinal column before finally you succumb to the idea no matter how hard you try, you'll never find the answer for the reduced rate of tourism in Sacra-fucking-mento, California anyway-- so turn 'em louder, pour more salt in the wounds and let's git on wit it! Most of the record's got a fiery style of early day take to the street with clubs in hands, sneer on face and a wake of broken bottles, windows and blue coats gaining this UK golden age thing where every other sentence screams like "Alternative, Alternative" like times ten and over and again, so yeah, where pride goes, generations follow. These guys are youthful discontent personified that takes the cue from once and former club fighters Blood For Blood, with maybe an extra ounce of Agnostic aggression and a little of Murphy's Irish in and around the finger raising clich? and "we're fucked up" front. The "Whiskey Rebels," is an offshoot from the time of the great Whiskey Rebellion which first made headlines in a still green America a couple centuries ago and-- score one for the good guys, eh? Now it's one thing to learn from history; it's another to base your entire existence on a court ruling of the late eighteenth century-- but noble drinkers we are, robbery's robbery, and denial's another issue for those of a sounder mind than we'd like to think we possess. What this all means quite simply is who fucking cares, keep the keg pumping. In the finest foot to the floor tradition, they go heavy on the choral unity to really bring it home...pick on any number of rise above rebel anthems..."Sacto United," "Streets Gave You To Me," "Let Freedom Ring," hey, and when you toss in rapid fire riffing and double duty Nate's to again carry the flow... something I swore I never thought I'd see again since Pressure Point...it's a fairly unbeatable if intoxicating combination of piss, vinegar, and vehemence. For an extra kick in the nuts, turn and face stout standouts like "Invisible," a high speed quickie that's not the lyricist's golden hour but gets the point across; "Final Call" works in a fight, drink, die, sort of way; "St. Ides," suggests worship can exist without parametric limitation; and then there'll be "Mental Health" or "Agro Wishes," either of which slug it out in a fast pace of fuck everything, I'm busting out of this hell hole, who's with me? Hey, they lay their money on the counter and their cards on the table; it's crude, catchy, drunk and disorderly music for the mosh pit and mob rules mind set, take it or leave it.
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