Almost 10 years ago, bands like The Casualties were my staple punk rock diet. Rancid, NOFX, Propagandhi…those were the bands, mainly brought to me from the Fat Wreck/Epitaph compilations, that got my foot in the punk rock door. And while my tastes may have changed – and certainly expanded – it’s a genre of music I go back to and enjoy pretty regularly. While The Casualties are probably at the harsher end of the scale, their old-school brand of punk rock still stands the test of time.
From the picture of a chap with a mohawk on the front cover, you know exactly what you’re getting with The Casualties. And the truth is, despite the fact they’ve been going on so long, the band haven’t really moved on with the times so much. Which is fair enough really – the political angle of the lyrics continues with the Bush-baiting title track. ‘Without Warning’ discusses the impending extinction of the world’s oil source, while ‘No Solution No Control’ is a socially-aware rant at those in control. This type of confrontational approach can often backfire and sound preachy, but The Casualties do it in an informative way, rather than itting back and force-feeding their opinions down your throat.
The simple fact is that if you liked any of the previous The Casualties records, you’ll like this – it’s one of their better ones and, as a result, is well worth a purchase.