The long running and legendary Paris street punks Lion’s Law have been leaders of the Oi! scene for well over a decade now. This batch of 15 tunes keeps their hardcore and punk spirit alive and even leaves us with an unexpected New Wave cover.
The driving guitars and brisk drums of “Paris” opens the listen, where the front man Wattie’s gruff vocals are met with melodic buzzing and charged punk rock. “Brothers” then continues the energy thanks to Vott’s swirling guitar alongside Thomoi’s drumming acrobatics that are nothing short of stunning.
Deeper into the first half, the hard hitting yet tuneful “Back In Time” uses gang vocals strategically, while “Sewer Rats” is an anthemic blast of bouncy bass thanks to Swann, and the throaty vocals aren’t hard to appreciate, either.
Side B is just as great. “Crucifix” leads with dense bass before Daick’s precise guitar enters the intensity, but it’s the searing guitar licks of “Before Your Eyes” that makes this the album’s best (not that there’s a bad tune to be found). The title track lands close to the end and is a scrappy moment that oozes with grit, and “I Ran” is a really well-done cover of the A Flock Of Seagulls hit, where the sing-alongs sound amazing in this hardcore version that just might trump the original (well, for HC fans, anyway).
Lion’s Law is a band that has never wavered from their roots since their inception in 2012; the songs here are authentic, razor sharp and embrace all the hallmarks of punk and hardcore culture. There’s two colorways of vinyl available for this one, Red Velvet Marble Blend and Oxblood, and just 1300 total copies. The gatefold packaging is a nice touch, too, for this incredible release.