The Bollweevils – Essential

The Bollweevils, who are they I here my self saying when given this new album to take a listen and maybe even speak about.  Then it suddenly dawned on me that this was the same band that released an album back when life was kinder to me in body and mind, yep it was that long ago, 28 years to be precise, they have put out bits and pieces in-between, but this was at least 14 years ago too, so I can be forgiven for actually forgetting them, or at the very least putting them in the to be listened to later drawer in my mind.

So what do we think off this album, Essential is its name, which kinda had me clambering to check whether or not it was a best of compilation, turns out its more of a best of new songs that actually we have not heard before, well apart from ‘Liniment & Tonic’ which was released as a single back in 2021.  Apparently the title nods to the fact that the. Band are all now essential workers, ie: Teachers, Doctors and the like.  As if you could figure that out from the music! Not.  Fast furious and full on in parts is what you are getting here.

‘Predispostion’ kicks us of, and its like a rocket up the arse for sure, like Rise Against with the brakes off, which leads to the next song perfectly, ‘Galt’s Gulch’ has all the afore mentioned bands style built in to ever sinew of sound, which is 100% not a bad thing at all.  What Bollweevils do brilliantly though is to tie together their sound with what influences them and make it something slightly different.  Take ‘The Cutting Solution’ this is so fast paced, the sweat can be felt running down the Bass players back as you listen, this song is driven by a solid bass and powerful frantic drums.  We now get to the melodic section of the album, the supersonic speed continues, but this is added to be a sense of pop punk, ‘Theme’ is exactly what it says on the tin, a theme sonf for the band, which you can definitely hear blasting out at the kick of to a gig, short sharp and to the point, but then this is exactly what your getting throughout.

I mentioned the frantic drums a little earlier, and they never slow down by the way, this is a defining sound for this band/album, relentless hammering those skins to within an inch of there lives, but then this goes for the bass, guitar and vocal I would say. ‘Our Glass’ is this personified.

Before you know it, your at the end and the 2021 single ‘Liniment & Tonic’ finishes us of, maybe we will all need this after the neck ache sets in, all the head banging and ferocious foot tapping does the oldies no good, but hey this band will still attract some great young followers, this is a fact. 

Who would guess they were around a good quarter of a century, hell if they can play like this now, here’s to another 25 years.  Loud, fast, and still showing how punk fucking rock can and should be played!

Out now Via Red Scare Industries

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