Watch Your Back (Будь Начеку) – Clenched Fists (Сжимая Кулак)
Clockwork Punk
Out of Perm, Russia comes Watch Your Back (Будь Начеку), who just released their debut “Clenched Fists” (“Сжимая Кулак”) on cassette for Clockwork Punk! Previously only available as a digital through the band’s own Bandcamp page, the Russian label took the honors to release this EP on tape, though physical copies aren’t available just yet. Unfortunately something went wrong in the process of duplicating this cassette, as it contains the music from another Clockwork Punk release, so despite that the received tape is useless, yet rare, I’ve decided to get “Clenched Fists” the old fashioned way – by download.
On Watch Your Back’s debut you’ll find a total of six stompers that sound both vile and mean, but also typically Russian – or Eastern European for that matter – if you ask me. In a rapid pace the Russian lads burst out one track after another, mixing up mid-tempo storm rams and faster paced Oi!-punk anthems, bound to make you dance or pogo hard around your room! I’ve always loved both the guitar sound and native vocals of old Eastern European Oi! outfits – which is often very significant and/or specific, though hard to explain – and Watch Your Back definitely doesn’t disappoint on that department, delivering that old school rawness anno 2018!
If you like your Oi! music rare and exotica, give Watch Your Back a go once their tape is out there! Good stuff - though I haven't understoond a single word of this release, which also has its charm - limited to just 50 copies and the physical edition contains a seventh (bonus-)track to make this release complete. Nice!