The Filthy Radicals
Freedom 45
Cursed Blessings Records
Released: November 4, 2021
What’s this! A new seven-inch EP named Freedom 45 from The Filthy Radicals!
The Filthy Radicals are a six-piece skacore band out of Toronto, Canada and one with a bright future just around the corner – that’s if Freedom 45 is an ode to what is yet to come. That’s a snazzy way of stating that this new EP is something special. As it is. Albeit just four tracks that ring in at just about the twenty minute mark, Freedom 45 is about to make waves.
With Freedom 45, The Filthy Radicals come smashing in through the wall like that Kool-aid jerk that’s always storming around, destroying buildings for shits and giggles. Four tracks of highly energetic ska meets punk, that brings melodic grooves that are accented wonderfully by way a wind section, with gritty spat lyrics that cover all manor of social upheaval and injustice. Certainly not anything new, but what this genre of music has always been about and probably always should be about until the unlikely day all these wrongs and righted. So, never. Because there’s no profit in doing what’s right.
See Also: Scarecrow “Raise The Death’s Head” Review
The first track, also the title track, Freedom 45, is a fierce jam with a blazing solo and a solid opening romp that sets the stage for what it about to burst through the speakers. Starting off with an old timey organ piece that feels like a day at the circus, or rather watching a very old film clip of a day out from a bygone era. Freedom 45 sound slides down the fretboard and into full throttle mode, laying down a melodic yet gritty track about the desperate adventures, trials and tribulations of a lad name Johnny.
On Stampede Of Assholes, The Filthy Radicals draw their Ska influences to the forefront of the stage, while ripping a thunderously delicious guitar riff as well. The wind section really takes over the track here and drives the track home with gusto. It is on Stampede Of Assholes that the ska aspect is at it’s most prominent stage, as the rest of the EP is a lot of more punk rock driven. The deliverance of the vocals from Kyle Jewitt is similar to that of Jesse Sendejas of Days N’ Daze, as is the case throughout the recording.
The amusingly named social satire that is Piggies On A Powertrip takes aim at the Police force and their shady antics. Starting off with the lyric “defund the police” sets the tone for what’s to come – and although it isn’t a new message, it is one that has remained relevant for as long as Punk culture has been in existence, and that in itself makes for an interesting conversation. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Asides from the questions this song raises, the musical aspects create a great, wind-instrument driven romp that is nigh impossible to deny as a break-neck good time that was written to stomp about to on a dance floor. If we’re still being oppressed, we may as well fucking dance about to it.
Finally, Butts For Lunch takes a look at surviving from paycheck to paycheck and the realty of having nothing to eat and a two-week wait until the next pay day roles around. Seemingly, nicotine addiction takes president over something to eat, which I suppose is a flaw in itself, but moreover the current struggle just to find sustenance is another topic that is still being discussed all this time down the road – almost like poverty is a tool used to keep the people in line and under control. Much like how the tabaco industry is run by the same governments that spend millions on advertising against smoking the very products they schlep upon us. Isn’t that something.
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Digital and vinyl copies of this new recording from The Filthy Radicals are currently available from Cursed Blessings Records through their bandcamp page. I suggest scoring yourself a copy of the vinyl because not only does it sound great – it’s a beautiful looking disc as well.
For Fans Of: Days N’ Daze, Escape From The Zoo, Leftover Crack
Track Listing:
01. Freedom 45
02. Stampede Of Assholes
03. Piggies On A Powertrip
04. Butts For Lunch
