Punter - The Golden Hour

  

  I think it's fair to say that one of 2025's most raucous releases will be the new album by Naarm/Melbourne trio Punter. They first featured on here back in 2025 when I mentioned that I was unfamiliar with them but they'd knocked my socks off   https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2020/01/punter-minutes-silence.html. 

  Three years later I featured "a beast of a track that stomps all over anything else you might listen to today" https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2023/02/punter-years-silence.html

  And now they return, as good as ever. Lining up thus; Nathan Burns (guitar, lead vocals), Bella Steel (bass guitar, vocals) & Jake Revell (drums, vocals). They've unleashed an album titled Australienation. It's available in Europe via Drunken Sailor Records, Australia via Televised Suicide Records and Green Noise Records (USA).

  It takes no prisoners, it'll sweep you up in a maelstrom of noise. But it's not noise for noise's sake, they bring plenty of invention and melody to the party. I highly recommend you check it out : 

https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/australienation-lp

  It's an album packed with highlights so I'm spoilt for choice. Eeny meeny miny moe... strap in, I'm going with The Golden Hour...

Those blessed ringlets falling soft around her shoulders
her eyes were wild, impassioned, flashing like a flood
and her heart sent rage and empathy,
K Cider and some Ketamine
All coursing violently throughout her blood
Now have you ever met somebody so affectionate and genuine,
intelligent and mental all at once?
And you felt you'd never have 'em 'cause they'd seen some shit you
hadn't
but then suddenly you'd both fallen in love
in love
When he left England
Was a mess
Between eviction and that pregnancy test
Now when he bought her the ticket, said “come see me in
Melbourne”, the Department sealed their fate.
It was the same story that you heard before, now
of two lovers,
and the State.
(Love
Love
Love and the Border)
Met up in Asia 'cause they couldn't let go
(Young
Hearts
Shoulda' known better)
He crashed the moped, did the rest of the dough
(Love
Love
Love and the Border)
And every single time a goodbye was said
(Young
Hearts
Shoulda' known better)
He knew it surely can't be long 'til she's…

Punter - A Years Silence

  

  Have you a decent memory? Do you remember back in January 2020 when I posted a song by hot new Aussie punk juggernauts Punter from their demo ep and remarked that "there's plenty of melody in there but the band are kicking and punching the shit out of it."  I rounded off the post by saying "I'm hoping we hear plenty more from them." That song was titled A minute's Silence. 

(https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2020/01/punter-minutes-silence.html)

Today we're being treated to A Year's Silence... 

  Punter are from Melbourne and they fucking rule. They're releasing a debut 12" on Drunken Sailor Records. It's described as being "Punk Rock for the Herberts. Pissed up lyrics, RIFFS, pogo punk taking influences from Motorhead, The Blood, The Kids, Blitz and UK82." It's aggressive, energetic hardcore still full of those melodies that the band oh, so enjoy kicking and punching the shit out of. Demo highlight A minute's Silence makes a welcome return accompanied by 5 new tracks that more than fulfil that early promise. It's streaming here and you can also get those pre orders in for the upcoming vinyl variants : https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/st-12-2

  A beast of a track that stomps all over anything else you might listen to today, this is A Years Silence... 

Punter - A Minute's Silence

  Today you're getting one of those songs that I chance upon by a band I'm unfamiliar with but who then proceed to knock my socks off. The band are called Punter, they're from Melbourne and they feature a line up of Dawn Service (Bass guitar), Murray Darling (Drums, backing vocals), Lawyer X (Guitar, backing vocals) and Ash Wednesday (Guitar, lead vocals). They've recently released a Demo cassette ep on Blow Blood Records and you can check it out here : https://blowbloodrecords.bandcamp.com/album/demo-cs-5

  Their influences range from fellow Aussies Scab Eater, through melodic UK bands like Menace, The Jam and Eddie And The Hotrods via the harder hitting likes of External Menace and Motorhead. They say it's stompy hardcore with cleaner guitars and catchy melodies and that the idea is to play everything as hard as possible even when they would normally be powerpop riffs. I'm not going to disagree. To get an idea of what they sound like live I found this youtube video of the 3 RC Radio benefit from last July https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3WuyXCFy-M

  Next Friday (10th Jan) sees them officially launch the ep with support from Intrusion, Commons and Future Suck. You can get more info here :   https://www.facebook.com/events/2434907996618096/

  My take on the demo is that it's an extremely promising 4 tracks of noisy, aggressive punk that reminds me in places of some of my favourite bands (Hank Wood And The Hammerheads, Chubby And The Gang...). There's plenty of melody in there but the band are kicking and punching the shit out of it. It's top stuff, I'm hoping we hear plenty more from them. This is my pick of the bunch, it's called A Minute's Silence...

Chuck a piss up at grave site.  Beach front offense.
Jaeger bombs scream over head, hear the sound of the jet ski corps.
Chip off the ol' block, gunning pushie through the grid.
Monoculture, servo sunnies, can of Monster, pack of durries, fucken little shit.
Remember the martyr, laid down his life at Gallipoli
For prepackaged communities, stretched out as far as the eye can see,
it's Chemist Warehouse and Michel's Patisserie,
rendered brick and tin roof, mate.  Forever.

House party in the suburbs, busted up by the dogs.
Coppers on horseback, cunts chuckin' rocks, Public Order Response.
Rising cost of ciggies, got your heart full of dread.
Kids kickin' holes in the walls of a derelict Asbestos shed.
Remember the martyr, laid down his life at Gallipoli
For Drum 'n' Bass and Ecstasy, Britannia's dear memory,
yeah, now how's the serenity? We'll send the ships back to the sea,
Herald Sons and Daughters sing with me:

We got the officers at every traino, with a holding cell around the back.
And a camera on every street corner, yeah he died - he fucken died for that.
And the officers at every traino, with a holding cell around the back.
And a camera on every street corner, yeah he died, cunt, he fucken died for that.
He fucken died for that.