Hard Case - Not Right In The Head CD album
If ya bunged the Dead Kennedys, Cock Sparrer, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, and Aussie punks Oxymorons into a blender what would ya get? Probably something that sounds like Belfast band Hard Case on their brand new Not Right In The Head CD!
Following on the tradition perpetuated by Billy Riot's previous band The Violent Fuckwits, Hard Case put the boot in and take the piss in equal measure. Havin' a laugh and havin' a say!
The Greensleeves intro (courtesy of Mrs Riot? on piano) takes us into the first track Hail The New Dawn (And The New Dark Age) - a scathing attack on David Cameron's government and Thatcherist politics. Fascists come under attack on Our Guitars Kill Fascists whilst drug dealers get the boot (and more) on Welcome To Romper Room, a storming punk rock tune reminiscent of the Dead Kennedys Holiday In Cambodia. This is one Romper Room you don't wanna be stuck in. There's no Miss Helen and her magic mirror in here! (older readers might get this). The band take a pop at Crusties on Crusty The Clown, then bash the emo/goth kids on the wonderful Glitter To The Gloom which ends with a snippet from South Park, funny as fuck! The offensively tongue in cheek I'm Here For The Ginge takes the rise out of famous gingers such as Chris Evans and Paul Scholes (amongst others). My youngest son is a 'ginge' so I shouldn't really like this but ya can't help laughing. There's a bit of skanking going on on the heartfelt tribute to Joe Strummer - Please Come Back Mr Mellor, which includes the voice of the great man himself at the beginning and end of the track. There's a song about drug addiction and only Mr Riot could title a song on such a serious mater Wacked Off Her Tits! lol.
What else 'ave we got? Erm, a cover of Cock Sparrer's - Where Are They Now? and what is probably my favourite track on the album - I Am Jack - a disturbing song about serial killers. A bit of skanking going on here too but it sounds menacing, even sinister in a kind of 'Specials meet The Stranglers' way!
The album closes with a live version of the old Sex Pistols classic Bodies and its a belter, seriously! This sounds like it came straight off the Live At The Roxy (1977) album. Hardcase sound so much like Slaughter and the Dogs covering the Sex Pistols here, its fucking uncanny! I haven't listed all the songs here so you'll just have to go and buy a copy to find out what else is on the album.
All in all an excellent debut with some genuinly brilliant lyrics! I look forward to hearing more from Hardcase in the future.
Album now available - £6.00 inc p&p from Billy McConnell, 5 Glen Road, Belfast BT5 7JH or from Dragon Records, Belfast.