Noi!se - The Real Enemy

Pirates Press Records / Randale Records

 

All it took where a handful of songs, like “Living For Today”, “This Is Who We Are” and “Idle Action”, to instantly crown Tacoma’s Noi!se as my new favorite, modern-day, American streetpunk band. Raising the bar of expectations with every release they put out, the band has been releasing nothing but pure brilliance ever since 2010, when debuting with the EP “Walk Beside Us”. But with Noi!se’s last real effort, debut full-length “The Scars We Hide”, dating back to the summer of 2014, the constant storm of releases simmered down drastically with just a compilation contribution here (“Oi! Ain’t Dead 3”) and there (“Hooligans United: A Tribute To Rancid”)… only making me more stoked for things to come! But now the wait is finally over, because the most anticipated American streetpunk album of 2016 is finally among us and it’s “The Real Enemy”!

 

Now as a ‘reviewer’ I have to be neutral, or some bullshit like that, but I can’t. I made this website as a hobby, to show my love for Oi! and streetpunk music, and not to pretend to be some journalistic know it all, because I’m not. I was extremely psyched when I just made this page and Noi!se was the first band that actually took the time to answer some of my questions (aka an interview), and though I have been spoiled with new releases ever since this shit got off the ground, I still feel that same excitement when opening track “Passing Time” hits my ear drums! That opening riff, the dual vocals, that cracking guitar solo, the earth shattering rhythm section, that intimate breakdown that rounds up the song, it all bursts with energy, gives me goosebumps and I can easily listen to this track ten or more times in a row. And despite that eleven more gems were eagerly waiting to be heard, I did just that!

 

Along with its smart lyrics, my description of “Passing Time” is basically Noi!se in a nutshell. They have been doing this for the past six years or, but you “never change a winning team”… you just add more power and intensity to it, and that is exactly what America’s finest did! Not just song-wise, but also production-wise “The Real Enemy” is without a doubt Noi!se’s strongest effort to date! Songs like “Take It Back”, “Dull The Pain”, “Progress”, “Sea Of Apathy”, “End Of Days”, “Looking Back”… damn, I could just name ‘em all, are packed with such a hard punch, you never heard these guys sound so powerful ever before! Not on their own, Gordy of The Forgotten helped them out on the skull crushing “SPD” and the legendary Al Barr contributed his significant vocals to the title-track, while Aimee of The Interrupters makes the most significant guest appearance of the lot on “The War Inside”, absolutely stunning!

 

Due to work in the armed forces and family obligations it is almost impossible anyway, but just imagine how big these guys could be if they were able to tour. Their records, definitely in a league of their own, deliver the best American streetpunk out there. Period. And it got even better with “The Real Enemy”! Do not sleep on this!