2013

Lars Freideriksen returns with another new band and its a quality noisy chunk of oi punk. Great record comprimising all their output so far.

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n the relatively short space of time that The Old Firm Casuals have been together they have managed to accumulate a back catalogue of releases larger than some bands manage with careers running into decades. Prolific is not the word for their work rate, it’s more like insatiable, in so much as an insatiable desire to rock the fuck out of the time they have together before mainman Lars Frederiksen is off recording with his other band, Rancid and touring the world.
 
Taking in twelve of these releases, originally spread across various vinyl formats the twenty four tracks on offer on ‘For The Love Of It All’ are pretty much everything you could want from the San Francisco street punk/Oi! trio that boasts within their ranks the talents of the aforementioned Frederiksen on guitar and vocals, Casey Watson on bass and vocals and Paul Rivas on drums. Okay it might not be the “definitive” collection, as it doesn’t feature any of the tracks from the bands original four track EP, but as a bit of a fanboy I’m certainly not complaining, because even with my extensive hoard of Old Firm vinyl I still found tracks on this full length debut that I didn’t already have.
 
The three tracks from the TKO released single ‘Born Criminal’ and the band’s input into the split LP ‘Oi! Ain’t Dead’ released via Rebellion are all here in full, and these songs continue the rich vein of songwriting that the band are already renowned for within the virtual walls of Uber Rock’s infamous Singles Club. The lead track ‘Born Criminal’ in particular is another fine example of the mod/streetpunk flashes of genius that this band have come up with, and the storming ‘I Remain’ from the ‘Oi!’ LP boasts a fist in the face guitar riff and a kick in the balls gang chant chorus that leaves the listener bloodied and scared for what might follow next.
 
Elsewhere the superb Rancid-like ‘Ignorant Ones’ just makes you want to stomp around the place like a lunatic, the rampant ‘Bloodsucker’ is a lesson in songwriting for Lord Kilmister himself, and the band’s best song ‘Gang Of One’ is still just that, a peerless example of streetpunk and Oi! at it’s very best.
 
While this release is never going to win awards for being the most groundbreaking album of all time, it is as honest as the day is long, and if ever a title were more fitting for such a fine collection of tunes then ‘For The Love Of It All’ really does say it all. This is highly recommended listening for releasing the angry young man that lurks in the hearts of us all.
 

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