BRUCE - Captain, We've Lost Bruce (Review By Dirk Ceustermans)

 

  Sometimes, in an attempt to give myself a break from the daily grind of churning out these updates (and to give you the chance to read something a little different from my cut and paste introductions) I'll ask other people if they fancy doing a review. Occasionally, but not often, someone will just mail me one, "Hi Mick, here's another one!"  This is one of those and as a bonus it's a great song from a band I'd heard before in passing but don't really know anything about. This is a review by Dirk Ceustermans who you may remember is from Belgium and hosts top Global Punk Network show MediaMofos.

  BRUCE are from Aarschot in Belgium and you can find more info on them here : https://www.facebook.com/BRUCEPUNK/  They've a new album coming out in January and Dirk will be reviewing the first single from it so I'll pass you over to him...

Bruce - Captain, We've Lost Bruce (Belgium, Released November 1st, 2018)

Free download at:
https://brucepunk.bandcamp.com/track/captain-weve-lost-bruce

  I first heard of Bruce when I went to see them at a gig down in the celler of a local punk pub back in 1997 or 98. 
They had just released a CD called the Vaticano Trail, of which I won (oh yes!) a copy because I could shout the band they were doing a cover from at that performance. I think it was D.O.A., but that's a bit of a blur. I played that CD to death as I recall it being on autocue in my car rides to various other gigs.
Well these guys have been around since then and even longer, possibly, always appealing live with songs that are so simple and straightforward in a way that it's lethal bite (usually a noisy wah wah solo) overtakes you without any warning.
They rightfully claim to be massively inspired by Aussie punkrock, add a good dose of garagey punk and perhaps a little drop of Wipers to that and you have the basics of the characteristics of Bruce.

  A few days ago I was notified by Peter, their drummer that a new song was published on bandcamp, so he wrote me to ask for a spin on my Global Punk Radio show.
He furthermore informed me that this track is a preview for the upcoming new release in January 2019.
"Some people call this ditty a Ramones meets Cosmic Psychos, but listen for yourself and make your own judgement". Well i hardly make comparisons, but if i must, I can relate this band to the Ramones (the simplicity) and the Cosmic Psychos (the wahwah noise). Again a fine moment of Bruce's typical style is what we can conclude with.
While waiting in anticipation for the new release in January, I recommend to also check their 2016 release "My latest popstar crush" (https://brucepunk.bandcamp.com/album/my-latest-popstar-crush) which I find brilliant.

  This is Captain, We've Lost Bruce...

straight to the blitz in my messerschmitt left right left right left right drop another deadly hit captain I have bad news captain we’ve lost bruce well-dressed soldiers do what they’re told left right left right left right pull death the reward captain what’s your excuse captain we’ve lost bruce captain what’s the plan you know I’m your man tell me which way to choose captain we’ve lost bruce