Review: “Scared Off The Streets” by Pressure Pact

Dutch Hardcore Punks Pressure Pact recorded the debut album “Scared Off The Streets” with Georgios Maxouris who also handled the mixing while Will Killingsworth handled the mastering, allowing Len (Vocals), Niek (Guitar), Joep (Bass) and Rens (Drums) to express themselves without needing to worry about the finer points. The press statement reads “Their filthy tones, fierce riffs and raging compositions have seeded them as one of today’s most punishing acts in the Dutch Hardcore Punk scene. They’re a powerful storm of aggression, gaining more reasons to be pissed off with every note they play, and stab you in the neck with a broken bottle“. The album is the follow up to their 12 minute and 33 second self titled debut that features 9 songs in total and actually qualifies as an album on streaming services. So this is going to be a short fast one.

Almost instrumental “New Skintro” blurs the lines between Hardcore and Punk with a classic Oi! feel and chord progressions that settle the mood. It an interesting place to start as “Waste Of Boredom” goes hell for leather out of the gate, running down the street with a cheeky grin and your VCR under its its arm. The slow down for an eclectic solo in the verse only poetry style is a strange but endearing moment. “Weights” is just one of three tracks to only just pass the three minute mark with a fierce, raw vocal and D-Beat riffs. If you didn’t know they were Dutch, you could happily think they were a Boston Hardcore Punk band from the 80s in that CGBGS hay day. “Gestapo” is your classic three chord stuccato riff with a single verse of rampant good fun complete with twisty bass.

“Stark Raving Mad” doesn’t need a chorus, it’s got a punchy punk aggression that bands like Leftover Crack love and bleeds straight into “T.I.” thanks to similar guitar tones. The fist pumping chant of the track title will go down well at shows, if the fans can stop running around the venues in circles for long enough that is. “Death For Glory” is the albums longest cut and has an elongated introduction to allow vocalist Len to swap out the megaphone battery and neck a beer. Changing gear “No Hope” roars along at breakneck pace giving no respite in the constant headbang with hints of Metal in the speedy riffs. The raw energy and f*** off attitude of “Stub It Out” delivers another eclectic solo in breathless fashion.

Raging through like a bull in a China shop, “Small Talk” threatens to burst into bedlam at any point after it’s bass heavy intro as the vocals light the blue touch paper. As you might expect, it’s a track about narrow minded fools and could easily be a Sick Of It All track. “Mob Stalking” takes the pace up a notch and with a ferocious attitude and sharp tonged vocal. The bass line is the best on the album, adding a bit funk and playing like a second guitar in places. “Underclass” or to give it its full title “Represent Underclass” is a two stepping masterclass in Punk Rock with a punchy blend of music and some surprisingly arty lyrics. Closing on the title track “Scared Off The Streets”, is ending on the bands finest moment on the album. A havoc causing energetic flow and a song title chant end on an unexpected moment of glorious feedback [6.5/10]

Track listing

  1. New Skintro
  2. Waste Of Boredom
  3. Weights
  4. Gestapo
  5. Stark Raving Mad
  6. T.I.
  7. Death for Glory
  8. No Hope
  9. Stub It Out
  10. Small Talk
  11. Mob Stalking
  12. Underclass
  13. Scared Off The Streets

“Scared Off The Streets” by Pressure Pact is out 6th December via Wolves Of Hades Records and is available for pre-order over at bandcamp

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