Rough and tough d-beat, oi-influenced punk with a boot on the cover. If you follow the scene you probably already have a sense of what Bootlicker sounds like based on that alone. Released on Neon Waste (USA/Canada) and Static Shock (UK), this is Discharge-influenced punk that pulls no punches. It’s angry, shouty, and aggressive as all get-out with memorable lyrics that are simple enough to sing-along to on first listen, while still carrying some weight.
The band calls Vancouver home, and tonally it reminds me a bit of Chain Whip who are from the same city and run Neon Waste, and I get the feeling both of these bands were formed by musicians who wanted to get back to their roots a bit. Here, take your well-established d-beat sound with some barked vocals, add some some street punk nods, breakdowns, and oh-so-many kick drums through blown-out speakers and you’ve got yourself a slice of human rage, stamped onto a timeless 12” piece of vinyl.
“State of Fever,” “Jackboot,” “Hunting,” and “Submission Pt. II” are a few of the standout tracks. As whole, this record starts strong and it keeps its pace, though it loses a little momentum from time to time due to the redundancy of the style, which relies so heavily on those build-up-to-the-climax anthemic punches. It may be their first full-length, but they have a pile of previous short-play releases. While I enjoy this for its style, it’s also the kind of music that hits hard at the start but loses some kick as it cycles -- and is often best suited to shorter records.
