Battlefield - Every Day Struggles

Self-released

 

Battlefield is a brand new, no-nonsense Oi! band from Belgium’s Kempen. The lads immediately caught my attention when their hard and heavy sound first premiered on YouTube not so long ago, and now their first feat of arms is already here in the form of the self-released demo(?)-CD “Every Day Struggles”! Time to dig into the trenches of the Battlefield!

 

On Battlefield’s first cry for war you’ll find a total of six, boisterous and straight forward, tracks that have a mean bite to them. Not just because of the tough, brickwall sound that this platoon produced for “Every Day Struggles”, but also due to the burly vocals of frontman Willem. In combination with the mid-tempo pace and lyrical topics on songs such as “Hang The Pedophiles” and “Coward” (titles that pretty much speak for themselves), the influence of bands such as Condemned 84 and Retaliator instantly come to mind. A relief, because despite not having  any trouble with Belgian’s current state of affairs (music-wise obviously), it’s good to hear some real fuckin’ Oi! again from the country that once brought us bands like Headcase, The Pride and The Convicted.

 

So if you like your Oi! music tough, heavy and mid-tempo, all ingredients for an intimidating sound, you definitely need to give these guys a spin. Sure, being a demo and all there is still room for improvement, but overall “Every Day Struggles” is an excellent first release, already showing the potential of Battlefield becoming a true powerhouse! Keep it up!