As criticised as they were praised in many quarters from their first days for their true DIY punk simplicity and unpolished confrontational often salacious musical craft and attitude, UK punk legends Anti Nowhere League soon outrode their critics to become one of the most loved antagonists. A new split through Rebel Sound release sees the band at their adversarial inhospitable best alongside New Hampshire Oi punks The Damn Garrison, a union made in middle finger heaven. The link up makes for four tracks of punk rock which are as soaked in aggression and mischief as in anthemic provocation, and on the Anti Nowhere League side unbridled irreverence. They are a quartet of tracks which unreservedly feed the base desires of all punk fans.
The first pair of songs provided by Anti Nowhere League are a couple which previously could only be found on their Pig Iron CD and tracks which Captain Oi refused to release. Day The World Turned Gay pulls no punches as it uncages potent hooks and insatiable grooves into a mesh of punk rock causticity lyrically and sonically straight away. The Tunbridge Wells quartet of vocalist Animal, guitarist Tommy, bassist Shady, and drummer Nato, cast a riff and rhythmic slavery which is simply prime punk rock. Certainly the song is not touching new plateaus in originality of band or scene but equally it is virulent choice ANL which stands apart wantonly and excitingly from the rest. Its might is replicated and increased by the following The Adventures Of Peter Vile, of course another song with no regard and blinkers to ‘boundaries’, going places where most fear even contemplating. Once again a weave of intrusive hooks and riling riffs create a web of ridiculously catchy bait to which vocals unfurl an equally riveting, irreverent, and forcibly honest narrative. Again it is what you expect an ANL track to be and stand up as, and again a wholly invigorating provocation reminding just how important and rigorously rewarding the band has been and still is to a great many of us.
Hailing from Dover, N.H. and formed in the summer of 2012, The Damn Garrison has swiftly made their presence a potent and thrilling one 
on stage where they have played with the likes of Murphys Law, Infa Riot, The Warriors, Bishops Green, Evil Conduct and many more and through their four track 7” release through Arrest Records, Unsung Heroes. Consisting of vocalist Mike Day, guitarists Ritchie and Sammy Plante, bassist James Morin, and drummer Chad Lafrance, the quintet instantly unleash a thick infectious anthem of a bruising on the split with The Real Ones. An intensely coaxing bassline and crisp beats sets things in motion, their strong bait scythed through with thrusts of guitar. It is an immediately enticing affair which increases its call with a raw scowl of vocals which enter the fray as the track settles into a voracious charge, group shouts and juicy hooks adding extra spice to the temptation. As with the ANL tracks, the band is not forging new avenues but certainly lying fresh addictive and thrilling designs on to an established template.
The band’s second track Pride & Honor again leads with a great bass enticement which is soon smothered with irritable beats and rowdy riffs matched by excellent vocal squalls, singularly and as a group. As great as both songs are it must be admitted, as suckers for toxic basslines with as much groove and infectiousness to them as contagious spite, that Morin steals the passions in what are wonderfully fiery and contentiously evocative songs. Again stacked to the gills with hooks and raging riffs, the track rampages into the passions with merciless efficiency matching its partner track, and the incitements of their cohorts in crime upon the release, in exhausting punk bred appetites.
Two great bands birthed in different eras but united in sculpting strenuously exciting punk revelry across four outstanding tracks, the split is a mouthwatering stomp confirming the lingering adversarial might of Anti Nowhere League and announcing an emerging force in The Damn Garrison; another slice of evidence that world punk is possibly heading to another major heyday.
Anti Nowhere League/The Damn Garrison Split EP is available @ http://www.rebelsoundrecords.com on vinyl (200 Black vinyl, 200 Halloween Orange vinyl, 100 Lime Green vinyl).
https://www.facebook.com/antinowhereleague
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9/10
RingMaster 30/05/2014
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