As shown by their new album Light At The End Of The Tunnel, Welsh punks Foreign Legion has never strayed too far away from their roots but continue to invigorate and push their core sound with a passion and energy which never becomes tiresome. The band’s latest riot bridges their old school punk/oi background with a modern punk ‘n’ roll confrontation resulting in twelve songs which make swift anthemic stabs with contagious endeavour aligned to antagonistic intent.
Formed in 1984, Foreign Legion has built an attention grabbing presence which has endured and widened over the years. A trio of full-length releases continued to set the band apart from the pack, especially the acclaimed Mick Jones produced What Goes Around Comes Around of 2002, whilst split releases with Major Accident in 2000 and Sledgeback in 2010 amidst their own EPs and compilation gracing songs, have proved the band a potent encounter within the modern era of punk rock. On stage again the quartet has forged a formidable reputation, the band playing across over 15 countries and sharing stages with bands such as Cockney Rejects, Guitar Gangsters, Control, The Warriors, GBH, The Ruts, Stiff Little Fingers and many more. They are also the only Welsh band to play the legendary CBGB’s in New York which makes an additional potent mark on their career’s CV alongside their numerous festival appearances including the likes of Back On The Streets, Punk & Disorderly and the Rebellion Festival, where the band is set to ignite the crowd again in 2014. Released via Aggro Beat in Europe as a Green With Red Splatter vinyl and Rebel Sound in the US as an equivalent in Mint Green with both issues limited to 250, Light At The End Of The Tunnel provides another feisty and tasty morsel from Foreign Legion to enthuse over.
Light At The End Of The Tunnel makes a strong and appealing start with opener Jenny and its successor What A Place To Be, if neither really inspires a greedy appetite in the emotions. Both tracks still grab attention easily to set things off promisingly, the opening song entangling ears with welcoming guitar strands of melody from Simon Bendon punctured by the firm beats of drummer Glyn Bendon. Soon into its stride with the track’s narrative unveiled by founding band member and vocalist Marcus Howells, the restrained and easy to access stroll makes a simple and catchy romp before the second song on the album similarly has feet and voice in tandem with its infectious if undemanding beckoning, the bass of Steve Zuki the most irresistible lure.
The album catches fire from here on in with firstly the excellent Regenerations (Council list. Riffs and rhythms bring an instant entrapment of the imagination before soon being reinforced by the swiping vocals as the song looks g at local governments and the decline of British towns and all that inspires. The track is a contagious two minutes plus of uncomplicated but thoroughly inciting social commentary in the renowned Foreign Legion style, though again maybe there is a spark missing in comparison to the following tracks. There is an undeniable greater potency to the song which the band and album expands further through songs like My Radio. A great bass intro from Zuki sets the track off in compelling style, its swagger and groove matched by the hooks of the guitars and the effect rubbed vocals. Infection again wraps the song, its virulence at new heights for the release with riffs and rhythms an additional thrilling toxic bait.
Both Hey Girl and George Best continue and elevate the new plateau of the album, the first a Peter and the Test Tube Babies meets The Clash like provocation which takes mere seconds to seduce senses and passions whilst the similarly bred second creates a terraces like anthemic quality for an Serious Drinking mixed with Angelic Upstarts eyeballing, both songs enlisting full physical and emotional participation to its recruitment drive. As probably recognised, Light At The End Of The Tunnel just gets stronger and more impressive the further into its body you delve, the likes of Stalker with its deviously addictive bass hook, another striking offering from Zuki who adds something extra to the album arguably lacking on earlier releases, and the excellent Market Trader adding to the weight and bait of the release. The second of the pair again deals with the decline of towns, this through the intervention of supermarket chains and the likes, whilst raging and infecting with resourceful invention. #
The uncompromising Three Years, and its unbridled assault on child abuse and feeble punishments, scars and provokes with greater venom and passion within the album before Miners and Drunken Heroes uncages a raw, caustic sonic grazing and belligerent defiance respectively. All three songs stalk and coax with spite and energy before the closing song covers them with its shadow. Phoenix from the Flame is a pure punk rock anthem, a band banner which alone places Foreign Legion band amongst the highest echelons of British punk, its body holding all the cards and bait to ignite crowds and recruit new hearts.
Closing on its finest moment Light At The End Of The Tunnel is an outstanding punk quarrel and maybe the best thing Foreign Legion has set loose to date, certainly the rival to past glories. Punk right now feels like it is moving to a new heyday and records like this only reinforce that notion.
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8.5/10
RingMaster 03/03/2014
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attention and appetite for the passionate rabidity to come. As the track provokes and rallies up thoughts with its intensive yet controlled assault there feels a greater intensity and voraciousness to the sound and delivery. It is not a metallic rapaciousness which hits the imagination and senses but certainly the suggested more thrash bred hardcore feel to this and other songs, as suggested to us previously by Don, makes itself pleasingly known.
caustic sonic wash with bluesy flames onto. It is a sultry raw sound complemented by the charge of clean riffery and rhythmic enticement which splits the blaze of sonic heat. Though not as potent as its predecessor the song keeps the album rigidly in focus with ease before both Jesus Said and United We Stand offer their scuzz kissed storms of punk evocation. The first is a scowling yet warm mesh of stirring noise which crosses the senses like a mix of Angelic Upstarts and The Adicts whilst the second is an equally pleasing street punk brawl of anthemic vocals and coarse alluring riffs. Both songs have an intensity which draws attention and thoughts even if slightly lacking the richness of barbs and grooves found elsewhere upon Abdicate Self.
not long before a delicious tempting of anthemic melodic enterprise and group calls with Mackie and Boulton supplying a rich grazing support to McCullough, breaks out. Thoughts of Leatherface and Dillinger Four make a suggestion though equally the band triggers comparisons to Social Distortion and in some ways fellow Brits, The Vox Dolomites. Truthfully though song and sound whilst offering familiarities forge a presence which is distinct to the band; guitars and vocals a compelling inventive provocation driven by the voracious energy and antagonistic passion of the rhythms.
heavy bass sound move in to increase the enticement. It is not a fiery or dramatic start but rigidly compelling with a lure which increases as its intensity raises degree by degree and the great vocals of Spunk, aided by a strong backup from Chris and Ste across the release, start working on thoughts with an emotive narrative which again can be said to be a step away from the attack found with the day job. With a brew of hooks working independently and in tandem with each other and a dark menace to the rhythmic pressing, the song is a magnetic trampling through the ears and into the passions and the irresistible appetiser to even greater glories.
The rawer sound of the previous song is increased with a defiant nastiness and belligerence on the final song Superior Brain Damage. It has a harsher combative breath than its predecessors but does not short change on wonderfully toxic entrapping hooks and lung sapping energy. It is a towering conclusion to an outstanding explosion of the finest punk ‘n’ roll sculpting and the start of something which in the future could rival its creator’s main band in appeal and success. Released via STP Records on the first day of February and followed soon after by a five date UK tour, the EP thrusts Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions to instant ‘stardom’. To be honest using Dirt Box Disco as a reference brought assumptions that the EP would be something special, but it is nice to be proved right before being shown an even more impressive triumph which surely only those deaf or dead souls will ignore.
striking sinews and anthemic melodic fire. The drums of Thompson provide a hypnotically addictive frame for the charged riot of riffs and sonic endeavour to playfully incite the imagination within whilst again bass and vocals grip the ears with relish and thrilling temptation. It is a scintillating track which almost alone cements the presence and strength of the band and its sound as a new rapture in the passions. Black Checker has been tagged with comparisons to the likes of The Replacements, Cloud Nothings, Hüsker Dü, and Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, references which are easy to understand but certainly this song amongst a few suggests an even closer link to another band, unfortunately that reference evades realisation as this is written which is extremely frustrating, like trying to pick up a needle wearing boxing gloves, so close but so far.
which grabs attention with ease. Comprised of four eager and bold tracks with a raw energy and similarly uncompromising intent, Introducing takes mere moments to enclose the ears in an intimidating and fully persuasive encounter. Opener Check Mate is choice punk rock from start to finish; it’s first touch a rapping of rhythms and last a lingering toxicity which draws you back time and time again. It takes mere seconds for the track to hit full stride, riffs and rhythms stomping with attitude and intensity whilst the vocals scowl and challenge thoughts with a semi clean scowl of a delivery enjoyably reinforced by group shouts and barracking. The rhythmic core is a constant temptation throughout the song and keeps the pressure going perfectly even when the song impressively dips into a restrained and melodic detour before returning with nostrils flaring for an anthemic finale. It is a striking and thrilling start to the release and as a first engagement with the band, a song drenched in promise providing unbridled satisfaction.
appetite for its almost caustic charm. From a coaxing electronic whisper the guitar starts winding out its sonic bait around the ear as rhythms slowly walk the perimeter of the emerging design. A prowling encounter with Davis’ falsetto touched vocals a simmering lure, The Barracudas meets The Libertines with an infusion of The Boo Bradleys like track does not ignite major flames within its presence or the passions but certainly makes an infection leaden starter to a release which only gets stronger as it unveils its other two thirds.
deliciously inviting tone. With crisp beats also framing the entrance the track takes little time in composing itself before expelling a fire of sonic attitude and scowling vocals from Danny, ably backed by group shouts and aggressive harmonies. The bass enterprise continues to impress throughout the song, its rapacious yet welcoming lures a delicious tempting within the squalling assault. The track is an inventive but direct and purposeful provocation which leaves thoughts and energy agitated and passions satisfied.
