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Roughneck Riot

Burn It To The Ground

Written by: MAK on 18/02/2022 18:39:51

Over the last decade or so, Warrington folk punks Roughneck Riot have built themselves to be one of the genres most popular acts within the DIY punk scene, a lot of that due to being one of the most exciting live bands on the circuit. In 2018, the band announced they would be taking a break, with plans to return in 2020, however, the covid-19 pandemic put a halt to those plans, with the band eventually returning to perform live again in late 2021. Now in 2022, we have the long-awaited follow up to their 2014 release, "Out Of Anger", Roughneck Riot are unleashing the highly anticipated "Burn It To The Ground" through SBAM Records and TNS Records, with different vinyl variants on each label.

One thing that makes Roughneck Riot so captivating is their ability to take the most exciting parts of punk rock and folk and blend them sublimely. The high-paced plucky banjos and mandolins in each track are so wonderfully intricate, I’m left in awe every time and the catchy melodies are fun, yet performed with a nice raw grit to them. Right from the start on "We’re Still Here", we are treated to the fine plucky banjo and mandolin melodies, teasing us in with a lovely fiddly intro that bursts into life and performed at a pace that blows your mind, layered on top of high tempo beats and crunchy guitars. It’s a track that feels like after eight years without a release, the angst is still there and that is mirrored in the gritty vocal delivery.

"Cognitive Dissonance" is one of the most fun tracks on the release, with a higher tempo, especially in the drums and mandolin delivery. The tone is incredibly upbeat, with the rhythms and vocal hooks coming across a lot more uplifting. The single track, "Don’t Count Me Out" is another track that stands out strongly. A lot of that is based on the punchy nature of the track. This one is also a higher tempo anthem but relies more on the angst-ridden delivery, hitting harder with rougher vocals and crunchier riffs. "We’ve Already Lost" however stands out as the most unique track on the album as being a slow-burning ballad in comparison to the rest, providing a steadier darker tone, with some soulful vocals that hit in a completely different manner, it’s beautifully theatrical. One thing that shines brightly on this number is the accordion a lot more. The album closes with "Fuck Sake", a track previously released on Youtube as a live recording, it’s nice to hear it more with crisper recording and a wonderfully anthemic gang vocal chorus that really hits hard, delivering home a strong message that the human race is fuelled by hate and that we should be better than this.

Roughneck Riot have reminded me why they are my favourite folk-punk band and why I fell in love with them for the first place. I could listen to this album for the truly enchanting plucky melodies alone. The technical intricacies are outstanding, leaving my jaw on the floor each time I hear them. As an album, this is a fun release. I feel I enjoy "Burn It To The Ground" equally as much as the band’s previous work, it’s a superb listen for fans of folk punk and punk in general. One of the things I love about this album the most is that it doesn't lean on the Irish roots of folk so much like a lot of other acts in the genre, it's not laden with drinking songs either, it's a fresher stand alone punkier sound that makes them stand out strongly against their peers.

Download: We're Still Here, Cognitive Dissonance, We've Already Lost
For the fans of: Bootscraper, The Lagan, Flogging Molly
Listen: Facebook

Release date 18.02.2022
SBÄM Records/TNS Records