Is it just me, or is 2019 turning out to be a wonderful year for punk music? There's been a large number of album of the
year contenders already released and today you're getting a song from yet another addition to that list.
Slow Faction, the London punk band featuring Kit Gould (drums), Umbi Liszka (bass), Lee Peterson (rhythm guitar) and John Youens (guitar & vocals) are like a talented artist painting a portrait of what they see happening around them. Their canvas is a bleak affair... John's lyrics describe failed politicians putting our country up for sale, he shakes his head in despair as president orange brands anti fascists as terrorists, he calls out the haters who long for a country that never actually existed, he tells little Tommy name-change that he and his knuckle draggers aren't welcome round here. Slow Faction.... a politically charged band describing a landscape darkened by greedy, crooked politicians and racist bully boys. A band influenced by punk's early days that are sadly, 40 years down the line, still having to shine a light on pretty much all the issues that their forebears rose up in protest against. Another influence, Woody Guthrie, was singing songs like these before pretty much anyone reading this was even born and one of his most famous songs gets the Slow Faction treatment on their new album (All You Fascists... is a bonus track). Tragically it's still very relevant.
The album's called Unilateral Declaration Of Independence and it's their best work yet. The cd version should be ready for release by the 5th October but the digital version is already on Bandcamp as a name your price download : https://slowfaction.bandcamp.com/
The song I'm highlighting today is a brooding 5 minute masterpiece titled Oblivion...
Rigid rules and discipline
Ahostile legacy
Of the previous century
An anxiouschildhood full of pain
No understanding, only blame
Asuicide attempt in vain
So they had him sent away
Hejust wants to stay at home
He has to try to be alone
Byday he dreams of peace
Of idyllic domestic bliss
Buthe knows that the wolf inside
Can never be satisfied
Untilit takes control
In the struggle for his soul…
Asdarkness falls, turn down the lights – oblivion
He dies alittle more each night – oblivion
Dull the ego, numb thepain – oblivion
No strength left to live or die
Sohe dies his ‘little death’ each night
The city’scalling with its lights
A different world comes out atnight
He can’t resist the siren calls
Gamblingdens and red-lit bars
He knows all the secret doors
Bynight he gives in to lust
By day onlyself-disgust
Internal dissonance
Externaldecadence
As the dreams of Weimar fade
A polarisedconfusion reigns
There’s fighting on the streets
Asthe nationalist fever grows
As the old order falls apart
Heescapes into his own world
So now the sun’s setting onthe old regime as politics diverges to the far extremes
Apopulist danger is infecting the land as they look for the ones whowill make a stand
What else can he do? Now the fascists arein power…
What else can he do? When they label him adanger…
What else can he do? When the Death Camps arewaiting…
What else can he do?
