BADTERMS - Panic Age

 Boston’s BADTERMS serve us with a slab of Skinhead Rock’n’Roll that’s been long overdue. The upcoming album Panic Age pulls together the best cuts from their Lionheart Records EPs.

BADTERMS might be a relatively new name, but don’t be fooled: this is no rookie band fumbling through pub rock clichés. Founders Curt Florczak (Boston) and Hans Molnar (Arizona) cut their teeth in garage-punk outfits like B-Movie Rats and Candy Snatchers, and that pedigree bleeds through every riff and rhythm here. So what does it sound like? Think a gut-punch blend of ’77 punk, bootboy glam, and bovver rock swagger — the kind of stuff TKO Records made their name on. 

Lyrically, it’s all everyday grit: the dead ends, the cheap thrills, the stubborn optimism of working-class survival. BADTERMS write songs that don’t posture as “anthems” but end up feeling like them anyway. No fake toughness, no stadium production gloss — just rock’n’roll played with urgency and honesty.

If you’re the type who only wants razorwire Oi! bangers, you might find this a bit light. But that’s missing the point. BADTERMS sit in that sweet spot where Cock Sparrer, Slade, The Business, and Eddie & the Hot Rods intersect — rock’n’roll for the street, tough enough for the boots but loose enough to swing. 

Call it bootboy rock, punk’n’roll, skinhead rock’n’roll — doesn’t matter. What matters is this: Panic Age is a damn fine debut LP from a band already punching above their weight. With TKO backing them stateside and Lionheart keeping the Euro scene stocked, BADTERMS aren’t “up-and-coming.” They’re here. And if you slept on the EPs, this is your second chance. Don’t miss it.