Various Artists – Red Scare Industries: 20 Years Of Dreaming And Scheming

“What’s it take to get a review around here?” and album this good shouldn’t need a review, but here we go anyway. 20 Years is a big enough milestone at the best of times, but when it comes to independent record labels, there has to be something of a party beyond all parties needed. Hence we now have the compilation ’20 Years Of Dreaming & Scheming’, this isn’t any ordinary compilation either, most comps take whats been, fling it together throw it out and let the listeners reminisce, this is not the case here. What we have here is a line up of bands old and new, with a set of brand new unreleased tracks, specially recorded for the moment. So loved is this label by bands and fans alike that nothing less would do to celebrate. So what I’m gonna attempt to do here and now, is slide through all the tracks and artists, give you a brief insight as to my thoughts, and then send you on your way to listen and buy this snapshot of a Rock n Roll family album.

First up is one of the labels first release bands The Falcon with ‘Book Of Dead Names’ which growls and snarls like a song that might have featured on a Hellcat Records release, but for the fact this band chose a better label. Won’t Stay Dead with ‘Ex Machina’ slams in next, this is another of the labels first release bands, and this is a song that powers its way along with relentless beats, industrial guitar and a vocal that grabs you by the throat. Next up is the totally fucking showing the Misfits how to still do it Cobra Skulls, ‘You Know I Know’ just bumps along like every melodic punk song should aspire to. ‘Don’t Be Mad’ is Dead To Me’s contribution, and holy fucking shit (I could use that phrase for every single track, but I’ll spare you) what a bomb this band just dropped! Nothington give us ‘Aware’, I won’t repeat this for every track either, but Rock and Punk are words that work no matter which way you put them together, this is all wrapped up here. ‘Big Yikes’ or “big fucking yikes yeah” is brought by Heart & Lung, and my nodding head is about to fall off.  ‘Super Beef’ by No Trigger drops some tongue lashing NOFX style lines with so much more angst.

Dropping the pace now we’re around the half way mark, Sam Russo gives us the breathing space with the acoustic ‘One Foot In The Grave’, with the line “Pour the drinks out baby, cos tonight I’m letting go of the steering wheel” being just the phrase needed to set us up for the rest the albums scary journey. I did say I was going to give you a simple brief insight into the tracks, and up to now I’ve probably waffled more than I promised, and it is difficult when this is such a great set of songs by some truly top artists. But now I’m gonna stick to what I said, because actually listening to it, is by far the best bit. So second half ish coming right along….. Good Friend up next with ‘Bonzo Goes To Belfast’, a Ramones tribute song with a twist??.  Laura Jane Grace (one of my favourite artists of all time) with ‘Baby, Baby’, damn this is a killer track!! With a definite Offspring sounding beat to it. ‘Overpromised’ by Sludgeworth comes in next, melodic to its core, but with no let up on the power.

These are all then followed by, The Brokedowns ‘Cool Ranch’, a foot tapping bullet of a song. ‘DNR’ by The Bollweevils brings a brick wall beast to the album. The Lippies give us a riot girrrl fest with one of the standouts among so many standouts, ‘Host Bodies’.  Elway fire machine bullets, with ‘Traffic Haze’.  The (fucking amazing) Menzingers party with all of us in ‘Second City’ the hippie song of the bunch, ha ha. And then we reach the end and ‘Heaven (All Of It)’ by The Holy Mess, what a way to end it is though. Phew fucking phew, really didn’t wanna just call out odd names in this, because they all deserve the time for being just damn right cool as fucking hell bands and artists, and making up one of my favourite compilation albums ever!! (Truth). It’s like Hellcat or Fat Wreck on Adrenaline! 

Really hope we don’t have to wait another 20 years for something a life changing as this album to grace the ears!!! Red Scare Industries you nailed it to the roof, the floor, and the walls, THANK YOU!! And the artists of course.

Buy this HERE U.S HERE UK & EU