Ultra Razzia – S/T

Foreign Legion Records / Primator Crew

 

Last year Montreal and Quebec’s own Ultra Razzia delivered one of my favorite demos of 2017, perhaps needless to say, but ever since I’ve been eagerly waiting to hear more from them! And guess what, the wait is over! Because Foreign Legion Records (US) and Primator Crew (EU) are about to release one of the most anticipated albums of 2018 – Ultra Razzia’s self-titled debut LP!

 

And how bizarre as it may sound, it are actually two albums! Sure, the songs on both Foreign Legion Records’ and Primator Crew’s version are the same, but everything else – including the artwork, the treatment of the sleeve and the vinyl colors, but also the mixing and mastering – is completely different! Santiago Gonzáles (Dead Hero, Primer Regimen) mixed and mastered the American release, while Maxime Smadja (RIXE, Condor, Digital Octopus, Youth Avoiders and a shitload of other bands and projects) mixed and mastered the European release.

 

It’s tough to pick a favorite though. Maxime’s version sounds raw, 80’s – pure impact, while Santiago’s mix is fuller, crispy clear and just like you would expect a record to sound in 2018. I’ll probably wind up getting the two together though, Foreign Legion Records pressed the album on all kinds of crazy colored vinyl and Primator Crew housed their black vinyl in a beautiful, silkscreened sleeve – oh, and both happen to sound fuckin’ killer as well!

 

But mixes and masters aside, Ultra Razzia delivered an absolute must for fans of that (classic) French Oi! sound. With exception of the Blitz cover, all songs of last year’s demo – I assume re-recorded, but at least re-mixed and re-mastered, har – are included, while an additional eight, all new anthems have been recorded to make this the scorchin’ full-length debut that it has become! Hit after hit... Trust me when I say you don’t want to miss out on this one, because this will be one of your favorite records of the year, I can assure you that!

 

Don’t be stupid and don’t sleep on this album. Get one version, get both – either way, get it, because this record has it all. Sick artwork, sick vinyl and sick sounds – brutal!