(FRA 2015, 7" produced by Une Vie Pour Rien)
It's always hard to talk about compilations: usually they are composed by just one song for each band and it's not easy to make yourself an opinion with just a track. Anyway, when a compilation is great you have to recognize it and spread it to the world. Also more if the EP is released by Une Vie Pour Rien, one of the most importan label in France since the 90's. If you don't know it, well, it's the name behind bands like Maraboots, Lion's Law, HardxTimes but also behind the repress of stuff from Infanterie Sauvage and R.A.S., and also behind some historical compilation with internation bands. When you say "a name a warranty", well, you are talking about UVPR, for sure. This EP contains four songs by four different bands, and they are all on the frontline for the new generation of french oi!: we're talking about Syndrome 81, Rixe (with Wattie from Lion's Law), Outreau and Traitre.
To open we find Syndrome 81, a young band from Brèst that have already pleasured our ears with their sound balancing american oi! and punk hardcore. Their EP was pretty nice and the song you can listen inside the compilation is maybe their best composition until now. They took a stronger way into oi!, the recording is good (i really that kind of voice recording) and the chorus is epic. Of course we can understand why UVPR decided to put "Contre vents et marées" as an opener: it's a perfect presentation of what the new kids of french oi! can do, mixing together past and present. The song reminds me of some stuff by Brigada Flores Magon but in a easier way; pretty good anyway!
If you read this blog or if you simply have a pair of ears on the sides of your head, you should know how fucking great are Rixe! I have to admit that their presence was one of the reason why i bought this vinyl and i wasn't disappointed. Their debut EP was a surprise bomb on the european oi! scene that brought them on the international stage with their reprisal of 80's sound, like old glories as Komintern Sect, Nabat and C84. This song "Countre-courant ", is slow, with heavy drumming and a powerful chorus. This time they remind me more of the Italian old school (Plastic Surgery Rip Off..) and, in fact, the song is very similar to "Asociale oi!", released by Nabat in 1982. On the end it got an injection of power that reminds you (if you ever need) why this band is so fucking kick-ass! With their simple but classy music, with their vintage sound, Rixe demonstrate how it's possible to remake the sound of the origins without making copies or screenprints. The classic chorus that stays stucked in your head it's that little more you need to love without any doubts this song: we are all countre-courant!
Let's pass to the B side. Here we find Traitre, band who made its debut in 2014 with two nice EPs and a tape. The song is pretty nice, backing vocals are powerful and i like a lot the slow intro who put you inside the rythm; also them are into the old school attitude (for sure this compilation confirms the new trend of remaking the 80's sound), but not as much as Rixe. They just pick some hints by bands like R.A.S. to insert it into the new sound we have saw growing up in this last years in Europe. The stick perfectly inside the new french oi! mood (think about Maraboots, for example), so you know what you are buying!
Usually i like Outreau. Their first two EPs (also them produced by UVPR) were both pretty good. Nothing revolutionary, just solid as a rock oi!, made for the working class kids with its feet deeply inside the American sound attitude like first Iron Cross, Best Defense and some other good bands. Well, their presentation was perfect (they got some members shared with HardxTimes) and i was very curious about this new song (that is also the only English lyrics song) but i cannot enjoy it so much. It seems they don't get the flow they got in their first releases and well, it's a little anonymous. It's not a bad song and i liked a lot the lyrics that talk about the feeling of unity with the crew in not a banal way, but well, you listen to it and the you don't remember it. I repeat myself to be clear: not a bad song but if you want to listen what this band has really to give, rescue their EPs from 2014. The bass intro is always a warranty but the track is too slow to hit you up. I like their way to dig into USA old school (Oxblood reminds you of something?) but this time they don't hit the center of the target.
Well, in a few words: we liked a lot this compilation. All the bands are good, some songs are weaker than other but no bad songs at all and the bands called for this are always a good choice. It's a vinyl you have to buy if you want to stay on the point with the french oi!, that nowadays is one of richest scene in Europe.
A
1) Syndrome 81- Contre vents et marées
1) Syndrome 81- Contre vents et marées
2) Rixe - Countre-courant
B
3) Traitre - Trainer
3) Traitre - Trainer
4) Outreau - Spirit
