999 – Death In Soho [Vinyl]

Had I not seen 999 on a few of my 70s punk compilations, I would have been praising 999 for re-invigorating the classic UK punk 77 sound that helped form the punk rock culture. Of course, I can’t say that. I can’t say that they’re pushing new blood into to sound because they’re not new blood. Having formed in 1976 and with six albums already under their belts before this one, Death in Soho isn’t a record throwing a heavy nod to their influences. Instead, Death In Soho sees a band continuing and expanding their legacy by staying true to the sound that they helped create all the while making sure it never becomes stale or a comedic image of itself.

No, Death Is Soho is much more than that. Death Is Soho is an album that sounds like it should be a classic record. If you ignore some of the more current topics (plastic surgery on Stealing Beauty and the war in Iraq on Bomb You), Death In Soho sounds like an album that has been transplanted straight from the punk 77 scene and if it had been release then, it would be an album held in very high regard by punk rock historians.

The songs all have elements of classic 77 bands, like The Boomtown Rats, Stiff Little Fingers, The Buzzcocks and Ian Dury; even some slight Misfits sound (Get Off The Phone and Horror Story for example). There’s a distinct Clash similarity as well, particularly in the rhythm department as the bass lines sound seem to take a page straight out of Paul Simonon’s book. There’s a rhythmic element to the music that gets your foot tapping and head bopping with the beat instead of just straight out angst and speed. When they need to pick up the speed they do without hesitation, like the chorus on What Do You Knowwhich sees vocalist Nick Cash spit out vocals with anger and intensity. It’s a stark contrast to most of the album’s vocals as he mostly sings in a steady vocal range that thrives through a constant tone and intensity. He’s able to sing the politically driven songs and call for a change without falling victim to the generic gang vocal that so many bands rely on these days.

Now that’s not saying you won’t want to sing along. The repeated chorus on tracks like Life of Crime, Bomb You, Innocent and Gimme The World make it impossible to not sing along. But they get you to sing by being catchy, energetic and well written songs not by shouting out anthems.

Death in Soho is not perfect, there are a few tracks that seem to drag but they’re few and far between. Instead 999 have proven that a band can still write catchy, good and relevant songs thirty years after their formation. If only some bands that are around these days had this kind of staying power.