Smerch – Le Bataillon De Post Skins
Street Rock Music / Mangy Little Mut Records
Originally released on cassette through Street Rock Music and Skins For Skins at the end of 2019, Smerch’s (written as Смерч, which translates to Tornado or Whirlwind) debut album “Le Bataillon De Post Skins” is finally out on vinyl! Released by Street Rock Music and Mangy Little Mut Records last June, you could say that this powerhouse kicked off 2020’s hurricane season in style with this ravaging collection of Russian savagery!
Now to say I am psyched that this album got released on vinyl is an understatement. 2019’s cassette was extremely limited – like most of Street Rock Music’s and Skins For Skins’ releases – and since only 60 copies were made, I – among many others – missed out. Now with this release, 200 more get the chance to own this fairly brilliant record on vinyl and let’s face it - the combination of the 12” wax, the brute Smerch sound and Nick’s (Nickxtacm) killer artwork on a full-blown record sleeve crush any other format to bits, right?
Exactly. And besides the eight original tracks, the LP features two extra songs – a cover of Camera Silens’ “Réalité” (though in Russian) and the five and a half minute epos “Петербургская Аокигахара”. The latter is the last track on this record and due to its length and combination of sheer power and melancholic post-punk riffs, a grand final indeed! This also sums up the record as a whole – where brute stompers and hard-hitting mayhem go hand in hand with gloom melodies, while the lyrics (completely in Russian) are brought with pure aggro – a match made in heaven to say the least!
Needless to say that Smerch’s “Le Bataillon De Post Skins” is an absolute must-have, but just to perfectly clear – Smerch’s “Le Bataillon De Post Skins” is an absolute must-have! Everything about this release is as good as flawless, making it one of my favorite records of 2020! Available on either grey (70 copies) or black vinyl (130 copies), you should pick up at least one copy right… now! Massive!
