The internal contradictions of institutionalized punk rock are hardly even worth pointing out anymore. "All we got is rebel songs," shouts
Goldblade singer John Robb, and one is tempted to respond "Well, yes -- plus a record deal and what looks suspiciously like a clothing endorsement." Then there's all the Che Guevara imagery on the album cover and in the song "Black Sheep Radical" -- this from a band whose record label is called Anarchy Music. (Just a quick note to all you rebels out there: anarchy and communism are pretty much polar opposites; you kind of have to pick one or the other.) The music is just what the modified rockabilly haircuts and stenciled graphics would lead you to expect: aggro guitar punk circa 1977 with whoa-oh-oh choruses and lots of snotty attitude. Song titles like "Cops and Robbers," "Goverment Lies," and "Out of Control" are enough to tell you what the songs will sound like: lots of clichés, but lots of good hooky fun as well, and when all the retro-punk elements come together just right (as they do with a vengeance on "Decline and Fall of Ancient Rome" and "Out of Control"), you may just find yourself running out onto the street with braces down and fist in the air, looking for a riot of your own. Not groundbreaking, but not bad either. ~ Rick Anderson