The Bronx: ‘The Bronx’

Having recently been able to live out most teenage punks’s fantasy of portraying Henry Rollin’s Black Flag on celluloid, The Bronx set forth to prove they their hardcore credentials are no act on their latest album release.

With a penchant for slock-horror album covers and self-titled releases, this being their third with a mariachi album due next year entitled ‘El Bronx’, their sense of humour runs a little bizarre. This comic side to the group far surpasses their commitment to the anti-establishment lyrics that funnels through this release and sees them at their best in spouting hedonistic rock anthems.

Working with Dave Schiffman, whose credits most notably register with Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down fans, expectations lean towards the kind of blaring menace that drove them to fame. Musically they deliver on this score, providing oodles of scrap and distortion over Matt Caughthran’s gnarled vocals, always with one eye on their record company bosses weeping with joy at the knowledge they have a hit on their hands.

Despite the opening track ‘Knifeman’s shallow social commentary, the album doesn’t pretend to have any deep political ideas and plays to Caughthran’s strengths with its hedonistic tones. His voice strains throughout with a grimace of rock n roll excess that he pulls off perfectly. On ‘Young Bloods’ there are cries of rebellion like ‘Lets destroy the old empire’ and on ‘Past Lives’ we hear ‘maybe in the next life I’ll be a hero not a criminal’, both backed up by Angus Young style sleazy riffs and Caughthran’s howl. These are all fun rock jingles and, despite the fire fuelled aggression that he projects, show him to have a versatility that with the echoing production on tracks like ‘Young Bloods’ make him sound much like the severely underrated Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell.

‘Enemy Minds’ is the album's standout track as a single for its punchy kick drums and chaotic style, which freshens things up four tracks in. Operating at break neck pace throughout, with the longest track not breaking the four-minute mark, and treading the fine line between classic rock and punk like a unicyclist on a Harley, it's tough to get bored here.

Released on 17th November 2008 by Wichita.

Written by Carl Williams.