E insomma sì, il sogno è morto, ma loro ci riprovano. Senza innocenza, è vero, ma è un autocitazionismo che trasuda nostalgia. Senza tastiere e new wave, perché, dai, mica siamo quei fighetti dei TSOL (avercene).
L'unico problema di questo 1987 è che deve fare i conti con quel 1981 scritto di getto, direttamente in bella. Ipnotico, mesmerizzante buco nero con cui tutti devono fare i conti. E con cui tutti perdono.
"Brats In Battalions", il titolo è bellissimo. Il triumvirato Agnew-Soto-Cadena (cui si aggiungono Sandy Hansen e Alfie, fratello di Rikk), cinico e beffardo come non mai, vomita bestemmie al trotto, regalandoci l'ennesimo inno beach punk. Sorta di spensierato ed irriverente de profundis: la scena hardcore, trafitta mortalmente dal crossover e da "Reign In Blood", è al suo canto del cigno. Ma a loro non frega nulla, anzi. Si agitano convulsi tra pancroc e powerpop, scopiazzano diligentemente gli ultimi Descendents (sentitevi "I Love You", o i singulti di Steve Soto in "Skate Babylon" ) e sfornano un dischetto inutile, manieristico e superfluo. In una parola, stupendo.
La formula del quintetto, stavolta, registra un certo indurimento a discapito della velocità che, comunque, non ha mai stretto un profondo sodalizio con gli Adolescents. Benché più pesanti e marziali (leggi: l'ottima "Welcome To Reality"), i nostri vendono ancora cara la pelle: la slamdance a due velocità di "The Liar" è una torrida macchina da pogo, "Losing Battle" è una splendida "No Way" a deflagrazione controllata e "Peasant Song" è il polifonico bignamino dei perfetti kids di Fullerton (con oozin-aahs ante litteram). E va bene così, dai. Certo, gli Adolescents veri non ci sono più. Questi sono più tecnici, ma anche autoreferenziali e stucchevoli. Giocano palla a terra, sì, ma in linea orizzontale. Non vedono la porta.
Ed il paragone diventa a tratti impietoso quando si passa all'ascolto di "I Got a Right". Gli Stooges, filtrati tra le represse velleità ormonali di Cadena, danno vita ad un punk viscerale, rotto, vivo. Sangue dal naso, vomito, esoscheletri di periferie bruciate dal sole. Finalmente si respira. I pezzi originali? Al confronto, soffocanti cappe di retorica.
Ma poi ti ascolti Rikk Agnew. Senti la sua chitarra volare. Strizza l'occhio ad "Amoeba", al bel tempo che fu. E allora pian piano ti accorgi che "Marching with the Reich" ne è un commosso restyling. Che, con un pizzico di Christian Death, si è fatto "Kids of the Black Hole" vol. 2: l'epica e teatrale "Things Start Moving".
Enfatica e superflua, ma piena di nostalgia. Andate, siete assolti.
Elenco tracce testi e video
03 The Liar (02:00)
Watch the skies light up Lybia tonight
Last whispers come bleeding from lips
They stole your freedom for military might
Prostituted like the whores of the apocolypse
[Chorus:]
Reagen plays the liar - power's his desire, theres nothing for the world we can do!
Reagen plays the lyre - the flames are burning higher, while the world burns down around you!
They say they're telling us the honest truth,
Then they stab us in the back and lie to our face.
They say they're building a new free world,
But it's just the empire of a new master race.
They say "It's not our policy to kill civilians,
But it's to make the world safe for democracy..."
The fact they're still lying while our children are dying
Only stands as proof of man's insanity.
[Chorus]
Do you wave the flag, can you support a man
Who'd rather arm the world than give it food.
As the new master twists the nuclear screw,
He laughs as Kiev burns on the six o'clock news.
[Chorus]
They say they're telling us the honest truth,
Then they stab us in the back and lie to our face.
They say they're building a new free world,
But it's just the empire of a new master race.
They say "It's not our policy to kill civilians,
But it's to make the world safe for democracy..."
The fact they're still lying while our children are dying
Only stands as proof of man's insanity.
Reagen plays the liar - power's his desire, theres nothing for the world we can do!
04 Things Start Moving (03:12)
Things start moving that never did before
The blue and purple dragones have me rolling on the floor
I look the other way and I see a cat-fight
But I don't mind cos I'll be flying for the rest of the night
[Chorus:]
Things start moving but tell me what happens
When everything around me starts laughing
Things start moving that never will again
But now I need to know where last night was spent
Things start moving and they never will again
The windowpanes open and close, my head's in a spin
Red and blue flashes from cars black and white
Point guns at the rocket for speeding 85
[Chorus]
Things start disappearing and to rearrange
Mickey Mouse with his wizards's wand and another change
Trolley car makes a turn and now we're lost
Foot by foot, another great trip, never want to stop
06 Losing Battle (01:36)
Can't handle this life anymore
Point in the mirror and I ask what for
Just a miserable monster or part
Dangling at ropes' end good start
Crumbling down - into a mess
I've got too many problems - that tell me I'm less
Than the good god - who watches above
Who'll damn you to hell - and then tell you to love
Now suicidal, caught in a trap
Can't get out don't want to fight back
Now the firing squad is set
To give me the bullet to help me forget
Thinking smart but I'm acting dumb
So come on tell me which side has won?
Just one message before my head explodes
You can't win the losing battle but I didn't know!
Now suicidal, caught in a trap
Can't get out don't want to fight back
Now the firing squad is set
To give me the bullet to help me forget
Crumbling down - into a mess
I've got too many problems - that tell me I'm less
Than the good god - who watches above
Who'll damn you to hell - and then tell you to love
10 Welcome to Reality (02:02)
[Verse 1]
blood so deep the horse must hold his head up high
in the valley of decision third of the world will die
beat your hoes and plows into axes and spears
as the armys meet in a battle they predict for years
[Chorus]
let the weak say im a warrior
bring down the warrior
let the faithless regain faith
your faith is hopeless
[Verse 2]
the prophets and the psychics and the military agree
continual world war crisis leads us straight to world war three
roll the red carpet let the angel of death ride in
to the valley of the valley of decision let the mayhem begin
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
apocalyptic madness two thirds of the world in sadness
the other third is gone but sadness lingers on
troubled citys and an aftermath of hate no way to stop them cause now its too late
the antichrists mission done
the dead are the only lucky ones
your decision make a decision the decision in the valley its too late
welcome welcome to reality
welcome welcome to reality
make a decesion cause you've got no choice
12 I Got a Right (02:47)
Anytime I want I got a right to move -
No matter what they say!
Anytime I want I got a right to move -
No matter what they say!
Honey, I got a right, a right to move
Anytime I want - Yeah any old time!
Honey, I got a right, a right to move
Anytime I want.
Anytime I want I got a right to sing -
No matter what they say!
Anytime I want I got a right to sing -
No matter what they say!
I got a right, a right to sing
Anyway I want - Yeah any old way!
Honey, I got a right, a right to sing
Anyway I want.
Anytime I want I got a right to sing -
No matter what they say!
Anytime I want I got a right to sing -
No matter what they say!
Honey, I got a right, a right to sing
Anyway I want - Yeah any old way!
Honey, I got a right, a right to sing
Anyway I want.
I say "Hey, alright!" [x3]
I got a right! [x5]
Carico i commenti... con calma
