Old Firm Casuals - Holger Danske (Review By Ade Bailey)

  

  I'm indebted today to Revolution Rock host and Enemies Of Promise frontman Ade Bailey for reviewing Holger Danske, the new album by Old Firm Casuals.....  

http://shop.piratespressrecords.com/products/635213-the-old-firm-casuals-holger-danske-12-lp-cd

Old Firm Casuals – ‘Holger Danske’

  Never one to hold back on their output, Lars Frederikson and his ‘Street Punk’ incarnation bring us this much anticipated offering, with a truly personal feel. Unlike previous OFC records which have included some classic tracks (Perry Boys, Innocent Ones etc.) but have also ventured into the way-too-long and too-much-filler category, Holger Danske is a much more slim-line and directed affair. Checking in at a much more manageable 12 tracks, it is a wonderful thing indeed. The Viking themed cover art hints at Lars tipping his Pork Pie hat towards his roots in Denmark and away from earlier records which seemed obsessed by UK Boot Boy imagery.

  Ironically, the opener ‘Get Out Of Our Way’ sees not Lars, but bassist Casey Watson take the lead with his trade-mark ‘growl’ over a Minor key power riff and some interesting chord structures. It’s a huge start and really sets the tone here.

Next up it’s the first single release ‘Motherland’ and the first homage to Scandinavia. It’s a track in the vein of all great OFC tracks – hints of Rancid, Clash underpin the classic chug, coupled with great backing vocals and a Hammond. “Take me to the ice and snow, Where the warriors sleep below” Lars laments in the chorus on a real stand out song and was a proper high point of the recent tour (I caught them in Edinburgh and Glasgow)

As well as Danish heritage, current American politics get a real bashing across the record – the band of course being openly anti-Fascist. On ‘Pendulum’ “…Your arrogance doesn’t make you right…” and ‘Traitor’ “…You put your party before human lives…” the current shit-for-brains administration gets ripped in spectacular fashion.

  The centre piece of the record however is its title track. Preceded by a great instrumental section, Lars revisits the subtle ‘Motherland’ motif to pay tribute to his Uncle’s Danish Partisan group who fought occupation against the Nazis and were called ‘Holger Danske’

I’ve been a fan of the band since their inception but I can honestly say that this record is a real tour de force, snappy, catchy as hell - see the new unofficial theme song ‘Casual Rock And Roll’ which could easily have been a 1974 chart topper had Chapman/Chinn got their grubby hands on it!

The addition of second guitarist Gabe Gabriloff to the live shows has also lifted them to a different level, fattening the sound and raising the volume. As you’ve already guessed, I’m a huge fan of this record and so should you.  

  This is the title track, Holger Danske...