Dublin’s reining Kings of Punk are back with their first release since their last one (always wanted to say that – stupid eh?,) the very fine “Deep Fried Obedience”. Boz, Andy and Del are still spitting glass, nails, venom and sticks of dynamite at all they despise – Old Ladies, Boggers, the stupid in general and the girl from CRASS (something about catching the clap from her). Though the music sounds much more experimental/Industrial/bloody intense then the more straight forward punk of DFO. A couple of tracks remind me of early THERAPY?, I’m also hearing late 80’s HC influnces and even maybe a touch of Slayer (Turnpike). Not for the faint hearted, Old Ladies, Boggers, the stupid in general and the girl from CRASS. Available in the US through Rube Records (P.O Box 121, Cobleskill, NY 12043 – $13.00 PP)
September 2003
The Steam Pig continue their vicious audio assault against all those they despise (and mankind in general) with their 4th release. “Ugly Bastard Everything” continues the shift towards Hard Core/Industrial sounds started on the last release “Potshots” and away from the more straight ahead Street Punk/Oi of the earlier releases. To my untrained ears it’s a mix of old Therapy?, Helmet and US Hard Core – and I’m sure someone will tell me I’m either deaf, stupid or ignorant for making those comparisons (and oh yeah doesn’t the cover look a bit like the back of Queen’s , “The Miracle”).
February 2005
Finally we have an Irish band playing punk as opposed to the usual punk band playing Irish we normally deal with here. More correctly the Steam Pig are a Dublin band playing punk (none of that Cultchie shite here).
I don’t know a hell of a lot about this CD actually. It seems to be a recent recording of older tracks from 97/98 including a few written by Godsy the bands late vocalist who died under tragic circumstances a couple of years ago. I’m not sure if these tracks have previously seen the light of day elsewhere or not.
Musically the Stream Pig are a solid blast of fast street punk with touches of hardcore, oi and Motorhead along with some Thin Lizzy style guitar harmonies (about as traditional Irish as it gets). Lyrically the Steam Pig are three or four steps above the average punk band with a combination of brilliant Dublin wit and observations and some real insightful lyric’s into Irish life (“A Barefoot Walk on Dollymount Strand”) and it’s relationship with the Catholic church. Also check out the lyrics to the un-P.C. but catchy as hell “Stoneybatter Me” guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
Will probably be my favorite punk CD of the year at years end.
April 2002
Rich Lard, the main mover and shaker behind “Punk Shit Volume 1” is an Irish punk living in Birmingham, England whose idea for this 40 track compilation was essentially to give exposure to Punk bands on both the Irish and Birmingham scenes. Like most compilations it’s a mixed bag of bands, some good (Nerdlinger, Dogshit Sandwich, Greenland Whalefishers, The Wernt, Bug Central), some bad and some brilliant (Blood or Whiskey, Runnin’ Riot, The Steam Pig) and some just plain average, with a wide range of punk style from the Pogues/Traditional inspired Blood or Whiskey and Greenland Whalefishers to Street Punk, Metallic Hardcore, Oi, Crust, Ska and Acapella (Wat Tyler’s, “Babylon’s Burning”).
I suppose the true test of a good compilation is if it wets the appetite to further check out some of the bands on it and I’ll be certainly checking out more from the Steam Pig, Nerdlinger and a few more.
November 2001
Potato-eating, Whiskey-drinking, Bog-trotting, CELTIC PUNK ROCK
Shite'n'Onions 