20 years, 10 albums, countless concerts.
It all started with the hymn "Hooligan Reggae".
That's right, I'm writing about THE OFFENDERS from Berlin.
I still remember the band's first concerts at Clash, in Mehringhof.
With hardly an album out, the place was packed. A new offbeat and ska institution was born, that was the opinion back then. The opinion wasn't entirely wrong, but just as the water flows down the Spree, the band changed its style.
They discovered punk rock for themselves. That wasn't bad either, but it was no longer as unique as the first albums.
Now the band led by mastermind Valerio has been around for 20 years and presents its tenth album, "Storm over the Mainland". The label releasing the album is "Sunny Bastards" from the Ruhr area.
On "Storm over the Mainland", the band presents twelve songs.
It is THE OFFENDERS' most diverse album.
There is a great offbeat number called "Partizani in Budapest", which not only reminds one of the band's probably most famous song "Hooligan Reggae" but also of "Berlin Will Resist (Riot 87 In SO36)". A great dance number that addresses a serious topic, namely the annual "Day of Honor" held in Budapest. An event where patriots, both old and new Nazis, celebrate themselves. Protests against it are not well received, as evidenced by the recurring articles in the press about the extradition of antifascists.
Then for the first time, folk-punk from THE OFFENDERS can be heard. Catchy and played with a mandolin, the dance leg automatically starts to move.
In addition, there are melodic punk rock songs, to which Valerio always manages to give a special touch with his voice.
THE OFFENDERS offer everything on this album that has made them beloved over the last 20 years. Offbeat, ska-punk, punk rock, and now folk-punk.
For people who like to think in boxes or for the scene police, the Italians from Berlin are nothing. They are too unconstrained.
THE OFFENDERS do what they feel like and what they enjoy.
With "Storm over the Mainland", the band not only offers a stylistic retrospective of the last 20 years but also a glimpse into the next 20 years...
Anyone who wants to learn more about the band and their works can read the reviews published at ramtatta.de here:
ACTION REACTION
https://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/3661/
GENERATION NOWHERE
https://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/6281/
X
https://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/7523/
HEART OF GLASS
https://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/8119/
ORTHODOXY OF NEW RADICALISM
https://www.ramtatta.de/s/reviews/f/details/id/9667/
