Stand For Nothing
Digital Warfare, 2019
9/10
The Nottingham, England punks returns with a 4th album of their charged, filthy and uncontainable punk rock energy, where occasional keys, plenty of guitar solos and endless melodic, raw fury are unleashed with garage rock ideas on hand.
“Welcome To Shit Island” gets off to a roaring start with pounding drums and furious guitar work as multiple voices punctuate the coarse energy present, and “Stand For Nothing” follows with forceful singing and incendiary music that's part proto-punk and park rock'n'roll.
Elsewhere, “Cheers To Me” recruits a kinetic rock spirit with bite, while the chunky bass and highly melodic setting of “From Here To Adversity” makes this a standout in an album where there isn't a dud.
Deeper cuts like the anthemic gang vocals of “Deja F.U.” and the lone (somewhat) subdued track “How Do You Get Off (On Getting Me Down?)” provide some diversity to the blistering affair, although, quite honestly, The Hip Priests are so adept at their formula, by the time we get to the closing tune, “Rock 'n' Roll Leper”, we're more than ready for their seedy, visceral quick paced delivery to return.
If bands like Turbonegro, The Stooges, and New Bomb Turks frequent your turntable, than The Hip Priests certainly should, too. A record that deserves to be played loud and often, the vinyl version even comes with a bonus track
Travels well with: The Generators- Street Justice; The Bar Stool Preachers- Grazie Governo