Rockfight – Ready, Aim, Fire

It took me a good while and an eventual Google search to connect the quote used when opening 80’s inspired San Franciscan hardcore/punk group Rockfight’s latest album, Ready, Fire, Aim, with the source, but when I did, it only made me appreciate the Californian quartet more.  The line in question comes from that relatively recent Johnny Cash parody, Walk Hard: The Dewy Cox Story, and reads “ain’t nobody gonna wanna listen to music like this, you’re standing there playing as fast as you can, singing like some sort of… punk!”  Not only does the quote demonstrate an impeccable taste in modern theatrical classics, but it also gets at the spirit of what makes Rockfight tick – making for an easy connection with their audience, and setting the scene for a sound overcoming its inherent limitations.

Strictly speaking, Rockfight isn’t anything fancy – but that’s what makes them remarkable.  In fact, the band channels the same fast paced 80’s vigor making contemporaries Smartbomb a similarly notable exception.  Too often bands like Edge Of Panic attempt emulation of sound without accounting for the spirit of the movement.  The result is typically monotonous and without drive.  Instead, Rockfight keeps their simple sound lively, and lyrics engaging.  Vocalist Justin Collins speeds ahead with an unhinged, near-deranged and strained tone, with drummer Kent Matson propelling songs forward without as much as a glance over the shoulder.  Take for instance “Trouble,” a classic for its belted vocals, fearless pace, and backing shouts during moments of amped up bass and reduced tempo, packs a real knockout punch.  Speaking of which, for a band with such a need for speed, bassist Rob Britt really makes his presence known, rounding out tracks like “A Thousand Years” with a full-bodied demeanor, and opening those like “Shattered” with the audio equivalent of unflinching eye contact.

As far as lyrics go, Rockfight can hold a pretty decent conversation.  While they’re not about to publish their doctoral thesis any time soon, they speak with an engaging and genuine passion, questioning life’s conventions with a loving curiosity.  Sometimes they’re comparing life’s unknowns to hunting for the prize in a crackerjack box (“Crackerjack”), sometimes they’re challenging their listeners to be more than mere spectators (“Nothing From Nothing”), and for others they look to inspirational stories of past greats surviving under the most oppressive of circumstances (“Berlin Wall”).  In any case, Rockfight does more than scream angrily into the mic, rather channeling the passion that makes 80’s hardcore punk such a powerful medium.

However, for all my good words, Ready, Fire, Aim remains a simple album.  While the band certainly doesn’t blend into the backdrop, it likely won’t make an immediate impression on most already invested in the genre.  That being said, those who stay the course will find quite a bit to like.  At this point Rockfight gets the mechanics right, but would stand to gain a lot from coming across a little more spontaneously. Even so, Ready, Fire, Aim is a solid listen, and a safe choice for those looking back to the 80’s for their present punk preferences.