The Owen Guns – Violating Community Standards

By RingMaster Review on September 21, 2020 • ( 0 )

As much as punk rock has expanded and revealed new compelling aspects to its core enticement, there is no escaping a perpetual appetite for its origins within our punk hearts here. It is fair to say that Australian outfit, The Owen Guns, have the same passion but a sound which is bold in its stretching of those instinctive inspirations. They also have a new EP out in the rousing shape of Violating Community Standards, a collection of tracks which rather than simply hit the spot, accosted it.

Though pretty fresh to the world, The Owen Guns consists of musicians no strangers to the creating of potent sounds; members split between Sydney and the South Coast and veterans of the live music scene. Together they unleash a mix of hardcore punk and old school punk belligerence wrapped in pure mischief, a recipe which makes Violating Community Standards an easy recommendation for old school punk instincts.

Living in an area infested with weekend cyclists, we immediately connected with EP opener Fuck Cyclists though the instant assault of riffs and badgering rhythms made quick and thick persuasion too. The irritancy in the vocal holler only added to the temptation and a manipulation which soon had us roaring in tandem across its brief but rousing body.

With attention already grabbed, Rent tightened the grip; the gnarly bassline which leads it in enough to see lips being licked before just as voracious riffs erupts around dispute carrying vocals. Its rage is fuelled though by a feral contagiousness which carries the volatile violence in the tale, the track another rousing agitational incitement before The Ballad Of Cheeto Hitler bursts in, sonic vilification and rhythmic trespass the thrust in its political assassination. There is a great Damned like hue to the track at times and also a hint of the raw infectiousness of The Saints which only added to its inescapable addictiveness.

It’s Too Late simply assaults the senses from its first breath, its opening chorus an irresistible incitement within a tempest of sound before the track subsequently uncages a punk groove and incursion which is just as contagious and enjoyably abusive. Even in its calmer moments, the rhythmic prowess of the band is an infernal badgering which demands subservience while within No! it provides an unscrupulous harassment. Around that core lure, guitars and vocals rage, each bearing an inherent catchiness as raw as it is tempting as individual enterprise unites in truculent goading.

The EPs final track tells all in its title, Shitty Music For Shitty People (Ska Sucks), and again an appetite arousing bassline fired up attention to set the tone of its persuasion. With choppy guitars swiftly infesting air too, it is a compellingly animated start to a song eager which unleashes punk ferocity for a glorious fifty eight seconds, a bitch slap turbulence which left ears ringing and hungry attention for The Owen Guns greedier, esurient success which Violating Community Standards as a whole unleashed from start to finish.

Violating Community Standards is out now via Riot Records; available through https://smarturl.it/TheOwenGuns-VCS