R.E.D (Religion Equals Decay) - Wham Bam

  

  R.E.D (Religion Equals Decay) (https://www.facebook.com/redfromsurrey) have been shouting against social injustice since 2013. They've featured on here a couple of times previously in posts where I've mentioned their impressive soundscape of noise and Killing Joke vibes. 

https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2022/11/red-religion-equals-decay-ignite.html

https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2022/07/red-religion-equals-decay-god-save-king.html

  And they return today with a track from their brand new album, 1979. 

  The band say that 1979 pinpoints the year where hope ended and a failed social and political experiment started. It's the year Labour Prime Minister Jim Callaghan was forced to go to the country after his government lost a vote of confidence. This resulted in The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher, gaining a parliamentary majority of 44 seats. There followed 18 years of Tory rule.

 It was a year which the album's title track describes as a time of gimme gimme gimme. A time of uncertainty, lies, darkness and despair. It's an album on which the band don't hold back. You can find it here : https://red-religionequalsdecay.bandcamp.com/album/1979

  Today I'm going to highlight a song that borrows from Don McLean's American Pie, it's called Wham Bam... 

R.E.D - Religion Equals Decay - Ignite

  

  You may remember that back in the summer I featured a track (https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2022/07/red-religion-equals-decay-god-save-king.html) by London post punk outfit R.E.D - Religion Equals Decay (https://www.facebook.com/redfromsurrey). It was taken from an impressive soundscape of noise titled Music For The Masses - Volume 1. 

  The return today with an equally impressive song taken from follow up album Music For The Masses - Volume 2. The album's another worthy release from a band that deserve more attention (as Just Some Punk Songs show listener Atti Emecz said to me... "They are a great band. I have no idea why they don't  get in touch with a label. Must be loads who would put this stuff out"). Despite no physical release however, it is streaming on the usual platforms, including Bandcamp :                         https://red-religionequalsdecay.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-the-masses-volume-2

  The song I'm highlighting (Which Atti mentioned was his favourite from the album) displays how talented the band are. He backed me up by agreeing that he was getting Killing Joke vibes (which I mentioned in the previous review). This time around I'm hearing the inventiveness of another Just Some Punk Songs fave Bamboo Vipers (watch out for a new single by them next week. I believe Iain Gibbins is involved with both RED & Bamboo Vipers) and maybe even hints of Peter Gabriel! A song who's theme fits in well with the band's name, this is Ignite...  

 

RED - RELIGION EQUALS DECAY - God Save The King

  

    R.E.D - Religion Equals Decay (https://www.facebook.com/redfromsurrey) are from London. They've been described as the lovechild of Crass, Motorhead and Abba. A few weeks ago they sent me a couple of tracks (STOMP & 5 Minutes) which impressed the hell out of me and also impressed the folk in the chatroom when I played them on the show. 

  Now those songs have been unleashed for public consumption along with another half dozen choice cuts on a rather wonderful album titled Music For The Masses - Volume 1. An 8 track album I can hear you thinking... Yeah, that's right but unlike most punk long players, all the songs are over 3 minutes long and they're all happily good enough to retain your interest throughout. 

  Aforementioned opener brings to mind Dirt Box Disco if they'd been ripping steroids. It's a punk singalong beefed up to the max. Track 2, 5 Minutes (no relation to the Stranglers classic) is equally powerful and to my ears has a slight rockabilly influence (although that maybe just me). It's a pounding success that also entices you to singalong. 

  Rather than reel descriptions off the remaining songs and bore you all shitless, I'll just say they don't disappoint compared with the couple I'd previously heard. It's post-punk at it's best. Hard hitting but catchy, you need to check it out... https://red-religionequalsdecay.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-the-masses-volume-1

  This is the closing track (and one I'll be playing on this week's show). It reminds me of Killing Joke, it's a topical look at world affairs and a damn fine way to highlight a damn fine album. God Save The King...