First and foremost I have to say, I’m not a hardcore guy, but I do enjoy some good punk from time to time. With that said, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the band Bloodclot and their upcoming release entitled Up In Arms, due out July 14th via Metal Blade Records. What I got was almost a throwback sounding record to when bands like Bad Brains, The Dead Kennedys and Cro-Mags ruled the underground scene.
A line up consisting of John Joseph on vocals (Cro-Mags), Todd Youth on guitars (ex-Murphy’s Law, Danzig), Nick Oliveri on bass (Dwarves, BL’AST!, Svetlanas, Mondo Generator, ex-Kyuss, ex-Queens Of The Stone Age) and Joey Castillo on drums (Trash Talk, The Bronx, BL’AST!, EX-Queens Of The Stone Age, ex-Danzig) makes for some powerful punk rock.
Right from the get go you can tell this isn’t going to be another “bubble gum” punk album: it is fast, it is heavy and it is aggressive. Being considered an “older” guy now, listening to this album brought back fond memories of Mohawks, leather jackets and spikes. It really does have an old school vibe to it, but of course with much better production.
Bloodclot is technically listed as hardcore/punk, but having a son and nephew in their early 20’s that listen to Hardcore, I didn’t get that feeling at all or hear much hardcore. All yours truly heard was good old fashion punk rock, and it was refreshing on the eardrums. With so much “fake” or “kiddy” punk out there today, Bloodclot hit the nail on the head. They brought back “the sound” that makes punk music good. Up In Arms is a fine example that punk is alive and well and guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of any fan of the genre.
Band Members:
John Joseph (Cro-Mags) – Vocals
Todd Youth (ex-Murphy’s Law, ex-Danzig) – Guitars
Nick Oliveri (Dwarves, BL’AST!, Svetlanas, Mondo Generator, ex-Kyuss, ex-QOTSA) – Bass
Joey Castillo (Trash Talk, The Bronx, BL’AST!, ex-QOTSA, ex-Danzig) – Drums
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