Antagonizers ATL – Kings
Pirates Press Records
Sure, Antagonizers ATL released a split EP here (with The Warning Shots) and there (with Noi!se, Crim and Rude Pride), but nevertheless it has been five whole years since the band released its last full-length, debut LP “Working Class Street Punk” on Pirates Press and Longshot Music. But now, half a decade later, the wait is finally as the band just unleashed their anticipated sophomore LP “Kings” for Pirates Press Records!
Now I say band, but with six men strong in its current ranks, Antagonizers ATL looks more like a small army of mercenaries these days! Yet, or simply because of that, the band now performs in their strongest line-up to date, something you instantly hear back in Antagonizers ATL’s sound as well! “Kings” is undoubtedly this mob’s best work to date and an album that blew me away right from the start!
Thanks to last month’s (January 2020) release of the “Hold On Hold Strong” video, featuring Monty Neysmith of Symarip, I knew this was bound to happen – but probably still distracted by the beautiful gold plated, glossy laminated sleeve and fold-out lyric sheet I got caught off guard nonetheless! Full of renewed energy, fighting power, superb melodies, prideful sing-alongs and even more guest appearances, “Kings” delivers anthem after anthem with one catchy earworm after another!
“Black Clouds” (featuring Matt Henson, Noi!se), “Trouble”, title-track “Kings”, “Believe”, “Problems” (featuring Chris Doherty, Gang Green), the re-recorded “Marching On”... this record looks, feels and sounds incredible on every front! Not least because Billy Fields traded in his bass for an organ and now handles all keys in the band (and I do love a good organ in my music), but also vocally Bohdan delivers his strongest work to date (and he sung on quite some records by now) and the production is spot on, making “Kings” sound massive through and through!
Available on either ultra-clear vinyl with blood red and gold splatter (200 copies), black vinyl (300 copies) and gold vinyl (500 copies), “Kings” is an absolute must for anyone who likes his or her streetrock ‘n’ roll extremely catchy and extremely powerful at the same time! As a matter of fact, the only flaw I could discover is on the bottom-left corner of the back of the sleeve where the P and I of Pirates Press Records weren’t printed in gold foil – but for the rest... superb!
