The Vibrators

Punk Mania: Back To The Roots (2014)

AdamC138

Punk Mania: Back to the Roots is the 2014 studio release by prolific first wave punkers The Vibrators. They are one of those bands that just won’t die and upon release of this record I’m glad they haven’t. Punk Mania is The Vibrators playing mid-tempo pop punk with a heavy rock n’ roll influence better than any other band out there. They’ve has had their ups and downs over the past few years, with original singer Knox having left the band due to health reasons as a touring member. He was replaced by Nigel Bennett who took over, quitting shortly after with Darryll Bath now filling in.

With cover art and a title lifted from their classic debut Pure Mania, Punk Mania promises a return to the band's original sound. The album is produced by original bassist Pat Collier, with a sound cleaner and more contemporary compared to the gritty sonic assault of their first LP. Pure Mania was a punk masterpiece so it’s not fair to compare the two releases, as Punk Mania is not a ground breaking record like the original. The sound and subject matter is definitely derived from the original album, although with the title Punk Mania I was hoping for a grittier punk album with songs that sound closer to their more aggressive early material such as ‘Stiff Little Fingers.’

The Vibrators succeed with a return to the punk and pub rock sounds of their youth without ever sounding as though they are trying to recapture their youth. With Knox now in his late 60’s the punk on this album is naturally a little mellower and at times lacks the dynamism of their early classics. That being said they still write catchy rock songs and Knox sounds great! "Love Like Diamonds" is reminiscent of "Sweet Sweet Heart" in phrasing and vocal delivery. "She’s a Girl" is a tender love song with an old-school 60’s pop rock aesthetic, it is one of the more mellow tracks on the album. The next track Knox picks up the pace with the rock n’ roll track "Rats," Knox oozes swagger with the chorus “Just a big fat rat / One too many rats.”

"Bleed to Death" is a stand out track, the lyrics are darker, “I like the way you bleed to death.” It’s a sort of throwback to the topic of women troubles featured on their early hit "London Girls." "Harness" is a memorable track and stands up against any other Vibrators tune. Lines like “Rock and roll don’t wear a pretty face” and “The dark side of life is still dishing it out” are delivered in Knox’s weary vocals with great conviction. Nicky Garret formally of the U.K. Subs plays a killer solo on ‘Harness.’

Darryll Bath injects some youth into the album with his lead vocal tracks in a similar way C.J. Ramone gave Mondo Bizarro a younger feel. Darryll Bath kills it on the albums last song "Fix" with a nineties alternate rock growl. His passionate vocals and the punchy instrumentation on ‘Fix’ update the band’s sound with an almost The Vibrators meets Social Distortion feel.

Knox dominates the album with lead vocals on 11 of the 14 album tracks and all three of the bonus tracks from the previous year’s Slow Death 7-inch. The songs flow and are diverse in a similar way to their earlier albums, it’s defiantly a fun listen for old punk fans. The Vibrators never gained the critical acclaim enjoyed by their fellow 1977 punk alumni, The Clash, The Damned and the Sex Pistols released debut albums to great success. Pure Mania may not have been quite as good as those but it came damn close and is an amazing album. Those bands have all dissolved or shifted their sounds where The Vibrators endured and Punk Mania: Back to the Roots is the proof. They never sold out or changed their sound for anyone and they never stopped making albums and I hope they don’t stop any time soon.