Disturbance – Tox Populi

Dirty Punk Records / Punk ‘n’ Loud Records / Deadlamb Records / Dirty Old Man Records

 

Going at it since 1996, Disturbance have been one of the longest running streetpunk bands out of the Netherlands. But despite their 22 years of existence, releases have been scarce with just one EP (2001), one split 12” (2011) and two full-length albums, namely “Malice In Slumberland” (2003) and “Shades Of Fear” (2007). Fortunately the Dutch punks changed this earlier this year with the release of “Tox Populi”, the band’s long awaited, third album for Dirty Punk, Punk ‘n’ Loud, Deadlamb and Dirty Old Man Records!

 

With a haunting, evil intro by fellow citizen of Rotterdam Sparky Phillips of Demented Are Go-fame, the tone for the rest of the album is immediately set. The music, a mix of streetpunk in the vein of Oxymoron and UK82 like Attak, together with its accompanying lyrics, sounds dark, poisonous and sometimes even apocalyptic! With song(-title)s like “Exhale The Peroxide”, “Human Or Android”, “Commodity Conformity”, “The Virus”, “My Toxic Friend” and “The Dark”, Disturbance emphasizes the gloomy atmosphere their music has (at least to me) since their debut EP “Live On The Decline” – only sounding more powerful than ever before!

 

Driven by the bass and front man Rob’s killer vocals, these lads crank out a total of 14 tracks (if you would include both the in –and outro) – varying from raging punk anthems to songs that will automatically make you clench your fists and sing-along to! Besides “Youth”, which appeared already on the compilations “Oi! Made In Holland 2” and “The Dogs Bollocks: Soi Dog Foundation Benefit”, the remaining eleven ‘real’ songs are brand new, though you might recognize tracks like “For You” and “Anvil Of Hate” from YouTube – or from their live shows of course!

 

Great songs for fans of punk and Oi! alike, though I personally would have kept it to twelve tracks (including the in –and outro) max – but that is just a personal preference. Other than that I have no complaints, because these guys deliver quality and are still killing it after 20+ years!