Contra, Mister Face – 06 Dec 2022 (first half), 17 Mar 2023 (second half)
Have a good laugh while enjoying some top notch skinhead rock and roll.
January and February are usually slow months for new releases and touring bands hitting the upper midwest. In a perfect world, that would mean I take a little breather. In the real world, it gives me a chance to dive into the overgrown pile of records that I didn’t give proper attention to last year.
Do you remember when punk didn’t take itself so seriously? Oil! remembers. Oil! started kicking around southern California about two decades ago, though they’ve taken some extended breaks. They had a really good and active year in 2023, releasing the excellent The Honour of Glory! LP, a split full length with fellow pranksters Van Stone, and the Unify Unity single.
Oil! are a parody band that would most lazily be described as an American version of Hard Skin. Their purpose in life is to take the piss out of the skinhead life, while playing some of the catchiest skinhead music you’ve never heard. Songs like “I Joined for the Boots”, “Drink Fight Work”, “F the Metric System” and “Unite To Fight (To Unite)” will have you laughing, but also singing along.
Ultimately, that’s why The Honour of Glory! works. The songs are good enough to stand on their own, and they show a genuine appreciation and respect for the music that inspired them. The songs are mostly mid-paced with throat shredding vocals over solid riffs and singing leads. Songs about working, drinking, fighting, watching football, going to the pub and unifying are that much better with just the right amount of comedic twist.
If you’re into traditional oi bands like The Last Resort, Angelic Upstarts, Cockney Rejects or Sham 69, and also enjoy a good laugh, Oil! are the band for you. The Honour of Glory! is the rare funny album with good replay value. Lace up your boots nice and tight, grab a lager and give it a spin.
For vinyl fiends: This thing is a German import, but you can find domestic copies. All versions are black, and there are 400 with the glossy, full color cover. There are also five different silk screened cover variants, all with less than 100 copies each. All come with a lyric insert.
Part-time punk writer, suburban dad and angry old man. Follow my adventures on the Punk Till I Die podcast!
