Album Review: Naked Raygun - "Over The Overlords"

 

Now here's a name from the past. I was sort of vaguely aware of Naked Raygun prior to this as I know quite a few of my favourite early '90s bands (the Senseless Things and Mega City Four to name but two) shared bills with them back in the day when they came over from their native Chicago to do UK tours. Honestly though, I was a few years too young to catch them first time out so this comeback album is the first time I've actually listened to their music.

The band that Over The Overlords reminds me of a bit actually is Bad Religion albeit a heavier and less frenetic version with the majority of the songs clocking in at over the 3 minute mark and the guitars being decidedly heavier (the ferocious Soul Hole Baby even reminds me a bit of Black Sabbath's Electric Funeral with its doomy riff). There's a definite hint of Poison Idea's "old and angry" mentality on songs like Superheroes as well albeit a more melodic version. The stop-start Suicide Bomb, the sinister rumbling Black And Grey and the anthemic Farewell To Arms also show off the band's musical versatility nicely.

The only slight drawback here is that while there's plenty of ideas and innovation here, Over The Overlords doesn't quite have that cherry on the cake that is a proper knockout tune to really sink its hooks into you and make this a genuinely great album rather than just a good one plus there's a couple of tunes like Amishes and Broken Things that just sink into anonymity a bit. But even so, this is a defiant, varied and ferocious slice of old-skool punk with a few unexpected tricks up its sleeve to keep you interested. Worth a look for the curious

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NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

NITE SONGS RATING: (/10)

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