Review: JD Garrahy
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get ready to rumble! From deep in the depths of Shepparton, Victoria comes the new Heavyweight Champion of the World, Big Noter!
Songs In The Key of Wrestling is the debut album from Big Noter, and let me tell you, this is all that angsty, aggressive brilliance of hardcore punk that raised us youngins throughout the 80’s and 90’s with the strong political opinions that bands like Rage Against The Machine grabbed our attention with. Make no mistake, this is no damn clone, this is the real deal. 100% certified, in your face hardcore punk. Let’s kick this shit off.
If you’re going into this album thinking it’s just another Senator Briggs offering of his political lyricism, then hold your thoughts and listen to the entire album before you judge. While still driven by Indigenous rights, Briggs has brought the big guns out and decided that the music he was raised on in Shep is the perfect genre to really drive his message home with all the ferocity that it deserves. From the opening track My Genocide, its clear that he’s not here to fuck around. Screaming down the mic, you can hear every bit of passion and gut driven aggression that gives hardcore music its defiant edge.
Now, I’m not going to give a track by track breakdown of this album as I think there still needs to be an element of personal opinion in this, where my thoughts don’t influence your own. Get onto it. I know you won’t be disappointed. If you have had the time to listen to the tracks that have already been released, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. This album packs more punch than The Undertaker at Monday Night RAW and keeps the same level of passion from start to finish.
Talk Straight, now here is a tune that speaks the truth on a monumental scale. So many people don’t say what they mean and dance around the truth too much. Big Noter is simply asking for people to cut the bullshit and just talk straight. Its not fucking rocket science.
When you have a legend like Chuck D from Public Enemy guest on your debut, you know there’s a strength in the message of this album. Lending his support to Senator Briggs and the overall message of this album, Chuck D delivers a powerful sign of solidarity with our Indigenous peoples.
What Ya Swingin’ At hits me right in the heart of my love of groove punk. The tempo is infectious and you can’t help but nod your head in beat with it. While the percussives lay the foundation, the RATM inspired riffs are equally as infective. This was 100% the stand out track for me, but does it stop there? Oh fuck no! Lets keep this train rollin’
The trio to round out the album of B.M.F, Big Noter and What’s The Matter With Adam? round out this debut offering. B.M.F slows down the pace and really makes you wanna throw down in a circle pit to end all. Spouting the phrase “Im a Bad Mother Fucker!” helps you find the passion that rivals our brilliant lyricist. It’s hard to explain, it stirred something in me that I haven’t felt since I first started listening to bands like Agnostic Front all those years ago. Big Noter carries on from this and that groove laden riff work returns in fine form and a guest appearance from Idles own Joe Talbot adds that extra bit of aggression and soul driven passion.
Rounding out the album with What’s The Matter With Adam? focuses on mental health and accessibility to mental health treatment for our First Nations peoples, with a special guest spot from the one and only Tom Morello. It’s absolutely heart-breaking that fellow humans are treated less than others solely for their ethnicity. Let me say this plain and simple and as loud as possible for those in the back, mental health is as important as physical health and should not be treated any less due to gender, race, beliefs or anything else! Want me to repeat that? Did i fucking stutter? No? It’s pretty fucking simple.
Sadly, we’re at that part of the review where I have to wrap it up. This album is killer from start to finish. Make no mistake. Whether you’re a fan of Senator Briggs’ magical hip-hop hooks, a hardcore devotee or even enjoy your metal or punk casually, this album is something no Australian should miss, the music is epic, but the message is clear, it’s time for unity as a nation and more importantly, fair treatment of those that own the land we call home. Get it in your ears now, I implore you!