What is skacore nowadays? After a whole wave of UK bands split up that were lumped within the genre (NoComply, Farse, Adequate 7, $up, Howards Alias…), the scene is in desperate need of a band to grab the mantle and put the sound back on the map again. And while HA have reformed and Sonic Boom Six are taking elements of the genre and re-mixing them for a completely new audience, it’s left to bands like Once Over to take the lead once again.
And take the lead they do, as ‘Directions’ is a great little EP. Released on Riot Music in the UK and Fond of Life on the mainland, this is a record that takes the best bits of NoComply, Phinius Gage and Capdown and puts them into one big melting pot. And when the record’s title track and the brassy beginnings of ‘Unbeing Dead’ rattle from your speakers, you know you’re onto a winner. The latter, with an awesome guitar solo right at the start, is a pedal-to-the-metal punk rock anthem in waiting, one of those tracks begged to be played by Mike Davies on The Lock Up and sung back by a bigger audience. It has the urgency so many bands nowadays miss out on – so thumbs up for that.
The only downside is that this record is just five tracks long – it flies by in pretty much no time at all and leaves you gasping for more. The truth is that there are too many bands taking the easy radio-friendly route at the minute, yet Once Over have the balls to take a massively uncool genre, give it a swift kick in the balls and make it fast, furious and fucking good. If you’re looking for a UK band to fill the void, look no further than Once Over.