Bloody hell, this is good. No More Saints deal in old school hardcore with unequal elements of international influence with the U.K. covered by GBH, Discharge and Mötörhead, whilst the U.S.A. is represented by the likes of Gang Green and Jerrys Kids all mixed in with some present day La Crisi from Italy--all in all quite a powerful combination. This fiv- piece, hailing from San Clemente, Calif., has recorded 16 tracks that will knock down walls and pummel ears, but thankfully without causing any personal injuries. Unless, that is, you throw yourself around whilst listening to the band and do yourself a damage.
You won't find any great deviations from punk rock here, nor will you find innovative ways of performing, but what you do get is a solid release containing simple yet extremely effective lyrics dealing with the troubles of the day, be they social, political or religious. The music is fast and formidable with an uncompromising tone that never falters or comes across as anything other than heartfelt. Admittedly the subject matter for the songs isn't new to the genre but the lyrics are both well written and subsequently well delivered by Ken Pucci, fitting the musical style perfectly with a punchy vocal performance. Of the 166 tracks, all are self-composed apart from an excellent cover of Saigon's ('80s metalcore band from Orange County) "Annihilation," which brings back memories of many Reagan-inspired songs.
On top of the usual targets for a punk rock band No More Saints find the time to include "La Familia," a track which reflects the love one has for family and despite all the anger and aggression within the album, it fits in nicely and lightens the load somewhat. No More Saints really has come up trumps here and hopefully this is just the starting point for the band.
Having been fortunate to get both the CD and the LP, I really do like the artwork, photographs, etc. that are included and which make up the whole package of this release (which was assisted by the increasingly popular Kickstarter). It's really good to see a band putting a lot of effort into not just the music but what surrounds it--something that is often lacking in today's modern age of digital releases (and digital review copies) and for that I applaud them wholeheartedly.