I thought it would be easy to write a English review for Badlands’ newest album “Alexandrian Age”. Why? Because I already wrote one for a Dutch e-zine which also happened to be in Dutch. At first I wanted to do a one on one translation of this review, but that turned out tougher than I thought because I can obviously express myself better in my native language, but I’m going to give it a shot…

 

First of all I have to admit I was really, REALLY, looking forward to this album. I have been a fan of the band since I ever gotten the bands first album “False Gestures” to review for one of my old e-zines (“Street Soldiers”, which some of you online old timers might remember) and with every album I heard the band get better and better in both lyrics and music. Needless to say I was quite dissapointed when singer / guitarist Victor called it a day after the fourth album “When Angels Are Crucified” in 2008. Lucky enough for everyone who enjoys good streetrock ‘n’ roll music Victor gathered a whole new band around him only to return stronger and better than ever before!

 

First proof of the “new” Badlands we got earlier this year with the “World Of Pain” EP which provided two blistering new tracks with a fresh sound and you heard a band who was enjoying making music again. This feeling became more clear when the initial idea of “Alexandrian Age” being a six track 12” EP was thrown in the garbagebin and additional songs got written and recorded to make it the next, and fifth, full-length album of Badlands.

 

Without a doubt I can write down it is the best album the band has ever recorded to date. The musical path that was chosen on “World Of Pain” continues on “Alexandrian Age” and provides a album full of melody, harmony, briljant guitarwork and the magnificent voice of Victor without losing sight of the bands past in the Oi! and streetpunk scene. Melodic punkrock, mean streetrock and heartfelt acoustic tracks go hand in hand on “Alexandrian Age”. New influences of the likes of Bad Religion and Social Distortion among the influences that have always been there from bands such as The Beltones, Templars and Perkele make this album a record that can be picked up by a wide audience within the various subgenres of punk music.

 

On my website I don’t rate albums, on the earlier mentioned Dutch website we do and I gave this album a score of 100 out of 100. Some called it ridiculous but I don’t care. It’s the best Badlands to date, it’s the perfect comeback album, maybe the best album of 2013 (still waiting for that new Noi!se album) and it deserves the perfect score! Get this!