Footsoldier - Skinhead Forever

Crowd Control Media / First Strike Records

 

Crowd Control Media don’t seem to be wasting any time, started out earlier but here I am, listening to their seventh(!) release already. Just like the... label and label mates like The Authority, Down For Life, Aggroculture U.S. and future signing The Hardknocks, the latest installment of CCM hails from Cali, risen from the ashes of the Oi! Gangstas, and is called Footsoldier.

Although these guys have been troopin’ the streets of LA since 2003 this 7” release, called “Skinheads Forever”, is their first ever ‘official’ release. The EP comes in a run of 350 copies total, of which 50 records are test pressings on black vinyl with slightly altered artwork and the remaining 300 copies come evenly divided on red, white or blue vinyl in a joint release between CCM and First Strike Records.

Musically Footsoldier knocks you down like a nine pound hammer! The four songs on this EP are raw, vicious, bass driven’, fists in the air and chanting along brickwall Oi! anthems. A sound that reminds me of a mix between those growly, heavy Japanese Oi! bands and classic American Oi! like Forced Reality. This mixture makes the “Skinhead Forever” EP one hell of an heavy debut release that isn’t too fancy or overly produced, but holds the true meaning of ‘no mess, no fuss, just pure impact’ with rowdy and violent sounding tracks like “Skinhead Forever” and “New Breed", my two favorites of this record!

If you like a rattling bass, heavy pounding drums, militant guitar riffs, small solo’s, growly lead vocals and raucous gang vocals then Footsoldier is your cup of tea! Heavy weight Oi! music for fans of Bad Vultures, Razorblade, Bull The Buffalos and Concrete!