Single Review: The Ramonas – You Asked For It EP

The Ramonas are the world’s best known all female Ramones tribute band, they have been relentlessly touring the UK, Europe and America since 2008. Their intense, high energy live shows have earned them a loyal fan base, huge online presence and regular slots at festivals, including the legendary Rebellion Festival, they’ve even been joined on stage by Richie Ramone. Now The Ramonas are moving beyond the constraints of the Ramones extensive back catalogue and are putting out their own material.

You Asked For It opens with the saintly vocals the precede the full tilt punk rock that is Speak Up, this is the lead track from their debut EP, and to be honest you couldn’t ask for a finer opening assault of high energy punk rock. A traditional 1234 heralds the start of Money, a track that that The Ramonas namesakes would have been proud of, it is straight up driving punk rock that carries an irresistibly infectious chorus. You hardly have time to draw breath before Hard And Fast At 69 kicks in, this keeps the adrenalized EP going, but with a slightly darker tone than the previous two tracks, and V.O.I.D. keeps the beat alive before Zombie Crawl rounds out the You Asked For It EP. The final number opens with bass rumble and a cry of “get out of my way cocksuckers” before it kicks into a high tempo punk number that’s perfectly designed for catharsis during rush hour.

You Asked For It is The Ramonas first EP of original material, and it’s a exactly what you’d want them to deliver, this is five tracks of relentless punk rock that has carried on the legacy that da brudders first started laying down back in 1974. The You Asked For It EP effortlessly blends the intensity of their punk rock roots with infectious pop melodies and killer hooks, and as you’d expect all of this is achieved in under three minutes on every track. For a band that has established itself playing the back catalogue of a legendary artist to move in a new direction is a brave move, but this EP is evidence that The Ramonas have made the right decision. You Asked For It is a product of demand from their many fans, and I can guarantee that anyone who buy this will be glad they got it.

You Asked For It is available on CD here and can be downloaded via iTunes