Welcome back to another edition of Rainbows in the Dark! This week, I wanted to take a moment to highlight UK-based throwback punk band Violent Reaction, who are about to absolutely rip the punk scene to shreds. It’s edgy, aggressive punk rock done absolutely perfectly. We’re just a bit late on the band’s new album, Marching On, which came out at the end of March, but hey…we didn’t have this column then. Now we do. Let’s take a listen:

I’m betting there are a ton of metalheads out there that got their headbanging start at punk rock shows. Just because you’ve all traded in their safety pins for goat’s blood doesn’t mean that punk is dead. In fact, bands like Violent Reaction show me that it’s still very much alive. And thankfully, their particular take on the genre is all too eager to shove its fists in the face of pop-punk and all of those popular audio garbage acts.

On March 31, Revelation Records released the band’s sophomore LP, Marching On. Right out of the gate you can hear the influences of Crass, Oxymoron, Pist, Agent Orange, Negative Approach, Black Flag, Discharge and The Business. Laden with raucous British accents and curse words, Violent Reaction’s songs make you want to tuck your jeans into your high-lacing boots, tuck in your t-shirt and throw your fists in the air in disgust.

The guitars are crisp. The drums are fast. The vocals are anxious, angry and assertive. And the songs are short. (14 of them in just 18 minutes!) All-in-all, it’s a terrific formula for a classic UK hardcore sound. There’s a bit of “oi” style, and a bit of Minor Threat in the lyrics. There are also a lot of gang vocals, which certainly help create an “us against them” type attitude. Basically, this album is an absolute blast, and you should listen to it right away.

[spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/7Gfg9Wr23qbITPh7EALHD2]

-Manny-O-War