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The Last Resort

You'll Never Take Us - Skinhead Anthems II

Written by: PP on 18/05/2009 12:57:17

Let it be said straight from the beginning that I absolutely despise the ideas and themes that the entire Oi! punk scene and The Last Resort represent after refreshing my mind through some research. Wikipedia (yeah, I know) tells me Oi! is a working class street-level subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s, and that the music and associated subculture had the goal of promoting unity between punks, skinheads and other non-aligned working class youths. The Last Resort were apparently a part of the 2nd wave of Oi! bands in the early 80s releasing just ONE album called "Way Of Life - Skinhead Anthems" in 1982 before splitting up thanks to consistent violence at and around their gigs. Whether it was race-related violence, the story does not tell, but looking at the artwork, the title of "You'll Never Take Us - Skinhead Anthems II" or just this flyer, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. For some reason the band went inactive for 27 years before releasing their sophomore album a week and a half ago. Go figure.

Anyway, the band are stereotypically British on all counts. Based on their image alone, these guys are cunts, low-lives, or to use the wonderfully British term, chavs. The sort of lower class people you always hear about British people in foreign countries. They look like football hooligans, they are extremely crude, and they indirectly promote racial hatred through their actions. However, if you are somehow able to ignore all of the flammable undertones and overtones associated with this band, you may actually find The Last Resort a decent pub rock / three chord punk rock band that recalls bands like The Clash and Sex Pistols. It's three chord punk rock that's good in its own classic way, where every song on the record has moments where you could easily be chanting the often-abused "Oi! Oi! Oi!" in a live environment. The strong British accent found in the half gang shouted vocals in tracks like "My Retribution" or "Do You Know" is something not heard too often on record, and as such it comes across as refreshing and different on many counts. Throw in the band's undeniable taste for anthemic songs and the ability to execute those in stadium rock like proportions, and you'll find it extremely hard to criticize the band for anything else than their image. These are Oi! anthems alright, but I'm just gonna make a wild guess and state that these guys won't find success outside of the genre because of their image and the horrific title of the album.

Download: Do You Know, Promised Land, Skinhead Baby
For the fans of: The Clash, The 4-Skins, The Business, Angelic Upstarts, Sex Pistols
Listen: Myspace

Release date 08.05.2009
I Scream Records