When a band lists amongst its influences ‘late 70’s British punk’, two things spring to mind. Firstly, the negative. So what? Every punk band on the damn planet should be influenced by late 70’s British punk. And a whole lot of the ‘garage’ style groups around right now who claim to bring elements of the powerful, blisteringly energetic and positively revolutionary sound of ’77 punk are, compared to The Clash and other defining bands of that era, mere pale imitations of pale imitations of pale imitations … well, you get the picture. But what about The GC5?
Well, what a pleasant surprise. Do these guys rock or do these guys rock? Like a genetic experiment to splice together the combined genes of The Bouncing Souls, The Dropkick Murphys and Swingin’ Utters with Lars Frederiksen on vocals, the GC5 certainly do not mess about.
Formed in Mansfield, Ohio in ’96, this is the bands second full length (after 2000’s ‘Kisses From Hanoi’.) It takes the power and urgency of Rancid, fuzz guitar riffs reminiscent of the late Chuck Berry and the mentality of the modern Oi! Movement and pulls them all together to create an absolute monster of a sound. Produced by Ryan Foltz of Dropkick Murphys fame, the record retains a raw, street punk edge while still sounding polished.
If album openers were drugs, ‘The Long Goodbye’ would be Class A, clean cut and addictive as hell. Unfortunately, with this kind of blazing start to the record, there’s only one way for it to go, and that’s down. Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the songs on the album are far from being poor numbers; it’s just that ‘The Long Goodbye’ is by far the best song on here.
‘Broken Bones and Death Trips’ and ‘Turn Their Backs’ continue the trend of distorted guitars played at a rate of knots, and while being good, solid tracks, there isn’t anything that makes them immediately stand out. ‘Straight Outta Luck’ bucks this trend, however. One minute and forty seven seconds of passionate musical thuggery, the chorus will infiltrate your head and have you shouting along in the most inopportune places. Listen to this on the train to work, and you’re likely to have a carriage load of bemused and frightened commuters on your hands as you raise your fist and growl ‘Straight outta luck, why cant this all go away, Straight outta luck, deal with it everyday’.
The GC5 even do soft rock balladry well, albeit with whisky soaked vocals and warped guitars. ‘Lies and Prophecies’ and ‘When All Else Fails‘ highlight the bands ability to handle slower, more measured material and Doug McKean’s voice, while hardly likely to give Mike Patton a run for his money in the ‘best tonsils in rock’ stakes, brings a different approach to these competent, yet hardly stunning, numbers.
And that’s where their ultimate downfall lies. Don’t get me wrong, I really like this band. They are the kind of group that, if seen live, would make me want to run, screaming, to the front of the venue and dive headlong into the pit with hundreds of sweaty, psychotic associates. There are few bands that can capture raw, unfiltered live energy on record, and these guys do it. However, bar a couple of numbers, the songs are good, solid numbers, but without that extra edge. Songs like ‘Dead Ends’, ‘Tear Down The Town‘ and ‘Doghouse’ are dripping with vitality, and there isn’t a bad song on the album. It’s just that ‘The Long Goodbye’ is the only song on here that I could repeatedly play without growing tired.
I am unsure as to exactly what score to award this album. It’s a strident, powerful collection of songs that, in the live arena, would sound absolutely colossal. On record, however, they often sound samey and lose that adrenaline present at a live gig. By all means, buy this if you see it in your local record shop, as it will stay in your player for weeks. I just can’t see it being revisited in years to come. Saying that, these guys pack one hell of a punch and if they ever appear on the bill at any of my local clubs, I’ll be there in a shot. I suggest you do the same.
Ross