The debut album from UK punks Dirt Box Disco only has simple and direct intentions, to stomp on your testicles, kick you in the guts, and to rummage in any parts remaining whilst ensuring you have the greatest fun whilst they do it. Legends is an unbridled blast of excitable and infectious rock n roll, it makes no demands musically and has no deep intellectual musings to share, well it has no time to when it is so busy rampaging and gate crashing the lowest and most primal instincts within us all.
Released via STP Records June 18th, Legends is what all the best punk albums are, crazed, uncontrollably infectious, 
and a continual spasm of attitude and belligerence within the ear. The bio accompanying the release states it possibly sounds like KISS vs. Rancid vs. Showaddywaddy, we would have said The Wildhearts meets early Green Day in a salacious filth coated union with Mud and The Adicts, but you get the idea. Written by guitarist SPUNK VOLCANO and ably brought to boisterous fruition alongside him by his eager cohorts in vocalist WEAB.I.AM, lead guitarist DANNY FINGERS, bassist DEADBEATZ CHRIS, and drummer MAFF FAZZO, the album is a frenzied and irresistible ball of feistiness.
Since forming in 2009 Dirt Box Disco has riled up and incited their ever growing legion of fans to rupture joints and lose body fluids persistently with songs that are slightly tribal and always slices of agitated rock n roll. Previous EP Are You Ready? of last year marked the Derbyshire quintet as a band to embrace or hide your sons and daughters from but Legends has elevated the band into one of the best emerging punk/rock bands in the UK. Alongside the likes of Supercharger and The Duel, Dirt Box Disco bring a fresh and re-energised heart back to true UK punk whilst making it as compulsive and additive as any pop punk band.
The aggravated garage punk of The Other Side Of The Street pounces on the ear to set the album off on its belting energised mayhem. It screams and pesters with scorched guitars, intimidating riffs, and group yells. It has no intention on charming or seducing the senses just to rile them up and have them clinging on for sweet life. It is a devastating start continued by the following explosive Peepshow. The track taunts and bruises with an arrogance and proud declaration that reminds of a mix between NOFX and the Vibrators.
Already the album has convinced it is going to be one memorable and riotous fun barring a collapse in flight as dramatic as in an innings from an England cricket team. There is no chance though with songs like the Ramones fuelled Rock n’ Rolla a song that could be the nostalgic playlist of all punks and the blood pumping sing-a-long I Just Want To Be A Girl, this one as sirenesque as a pole dancer in overdrive and an easy manipulator of limbs and voice.
Every song on Legend captures the imagination and triggers the instinctive urge to join in, every slab of punk rock making it easy with anthemic hooks and contagious energy. Without a weak moment to be found on there are still certain songs which ignite the deepest uncomplicated allegiance to their high energy accosting most of all. Smackhead is a minute and a half corruption of the ear, just how punk used and should always be, no niceties and no element left for the imagination to explore. The outstanding pop punk flourish of I Don’t Wanna Go Out With You, the UK Subs/Top Buzzer like Let’s Get Wasted!, and the scuzzed garage blistering of We All Fall Down, all leave one with a big grin inside and out but the two moments that leave the sharpest and most lingering intrusion are the brilliant I Am Rock n’ Roll and Dirtbox Days.
Both are beautifully simple and deviously infectious. Before you know it they have turned heart and voice into their puppets with joining in and littering the air with flailing limbs is a must. I Am Rock n’ Roll imply declares that I, you, we and this is all rock n roll and it is impossible to argue otherwise, the song simply a impassioned musical call to arms. Dirtbox Days closes the album in similar fashion, anthemic generosity dripping from every note and syllable. The track sweeps over the senses with an easy pop punk enthusiasm, think The Monkees as Hagfish and a song which is fun, undemanding and again fully contagious. It builds to a triumphant climax of simplistic “This is Dirtbox Day” chanting and if you cannot resist you need to check for a pulse.
Legends is awesome, simple as. You can take all your reflective and provocative songs to bring thought and ideas to consider and be inspired by for nothing is as thoroughly rewarding, uplifting and enjoyable as punk at its best and Dirt Box Disco certainly create that. Go enjoy!
RingMaster 12/05/2012
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