By Jim Rowland
Leading lights in the current resurgence of Oi!, Crown Court return with a bunch of new streetpunk anthems from the council blocks of North London with new album ‘Heavy Manners’ on Randale Records.
With a running time of little over the thirty minute mark, the album’s twelve tracks ooze angry energy and power in abundance, brimming with quality catchy guitar riffs and venomous vocals regaling tales of real North London street life in very colourful language. Tracks like ‘Left For Dead’, ‘Nothing Known’, ‘Striped Up, Sent Down’, ‘Mad In England’ and the excellent ‘Kids of the 20’s’ and very well written, tight, sharp, beefy, fast and furious anthems sure to satisfy fans of all types of violent punk rock.
Taking inspiration from the pioneers of Oi! like Sham 69, Cockney Rejects, Cock Sparrer and Blitz, with ‘Heavy Manners’, Crown Court manage to blend those influences with hardcore and classic punk, perhaps along the lines of Angelic Upstarts, Anti-Nowhere League and even the Ruts in places, for a bruising slice of contemporary streetpunk.
However you choose to categorise it, it all adds up to one of the best punk rock albums I’ve heard in quite some time, and positive proof why this lot are at the forefront of the current Oi!/streetpunk scene.
- ‘Heavy Manners‘ is out now.
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