This record kicks off with a siren, and that’s exactly what Klaxon are: a warning shot. Rhode Island’s hardest are back, louder and nastier than ever.
Trends come and go in punk and hardcore – some good, some bad – but one thing that’s stayed true is the skinhead spirit. Working-class values, anti-society grit, and no room for compromise. That’s the ground Klaxon stand on, and their first LP proves they’re carrying the boot boy banner now.
With The Chisel pushing the new wave of street-tough punk, Klaxon feel like the American counterpart ready to leave their own mark.
The album rips through ten tracks with zero filler. Old favorites like “Comeback of the Boot” and “Slain in the USA” get a fresh coat of fire, while “Rank and File” hits harder here, recorded and mastered to maximum bite. “March on You” stands out with its oh-oh gang vocals, tailor-made for sweaty pits and raised fists. And cuts like “Blue Collar, Black Eye”(also with some nice oh oh gang vocals everyone can shout along) and “Forgotten Roots” keep the focus firmly on working-class struggle and pride – the backbone of this music and scene.
Klaxon don’t dress things up, don’t chase trends, and don’t give a fuck about approval. Their self-titled debut is ten songs of boot-stomping, no-nonsense Oi! that keeps the tradition alive without ever sounding like museum nostalgia.
If you’re not shouting along by the end of “Smith Hill”, maybe this ain’t for you. For the rest of us – the alarm’s been sounded. Klaxon are here.
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