Album Review: The Crash Landings – All Guts No Glory

The Crash Landings are a street punk band from the South Coast of the UK, their debut album, All Guts No Glory, contains ten tracks that clock in at a meagre, but highly enjoyable, twenty five minutes. The band have been playing this material on the live circuit for a few years, all the while building up a good head of steam in preparation for the release of All Guts No Glory, which was recorded at the tail end of last year. As you’d expect the album has been recorded completely on their own terms, and it’s clear that The Crash Landings are proudly and defiantly a product of the UK’s thriving DIY grass roots punk scene.

The Crash Landings take their lead from the UK Oi and punk scenes, and the US street punk movement, to produce an album that is exactly the kind of bare knuckle punk rock we all need in our lives. Opening track Prozac Empire sets the tone nicely for All Guts No Glory, from the outset it is clear that this is an album of short sharp blasts of stripped down DIY punk rock, and each of the ten tracks on the album hits the spot nicely. Alongside the street punk and Oi there are tinges of ska, most prominently on my personal favourite off the album, Hatemail, there are songs that make a serious point which sit happily alongside the likes of Billy’s Got Tourettes, proving that you can make valid points and still retain a sense of humour.

I can hear a prominent influence from the likes Cock Sparrer, UK Subs and Snuff from this side of the Atlantic, these sit happily alongside the street punk influences from the USA. In less than half an hour The Crash Landings deliver a joyous burst of authentic punk rock that ticks all the boxes, if they ever head to the northern end of the UK you can be assured that I’ll be down the front. All Guts No Glory is further evidence that UK’s grass roots punk scene is alive and kicking, although in the case of The Crash Landings it’s probably stood at the bar ordering another round.

No Guts No Glory can be downloaded here