Bloodclot – Up in Arms

Bloodclot’s Up in Arms album ought to embarrass today’s generation of safe-as-hell, so-called punk, metal, and hardcore bands. Here we have a gaggle of over-the-hill dads, maybe even grandpa grey-beards that can play faster, harder, nastier, and louder than kids half their age.

Notable members among these old fogies include John Joseph of Cro-Mags and Todd Youth of Murphy’s Law and Danzig. Sure, the music here has been done to death, we’ve heard this sound before ad nauseam, nothing new to see here, but for what they’re doing, this is pure perfection, best of breed. Given the current musical landscape, this is refreshing by comparison to what’s out there in 2017.

The band is extremely tight on this record. You can tell Bloodclot actually recorded most of the record together live like the way folks used to do things, the way you’re supposed to things, especially in punk rock, but no one does that anymore, dammit. The recording sounds very real, so raw, not computerized at all, not too digitized. The drums sound wonderful, a great performance by Danzig/QOTSA drummer Joey Castillo here.

Do any particular songs stick out? No, not really. It’s kind of just one giant super-fast, frantic lump of loud, tight, simplistic energy that all runs together. It’s one whole composition piece. But at right around 30 minutes, there are really no major flaws. That’s probably ‘cause it was made by punk veterans that just know what they’re doing and knew what they wanted to make – they weren’t worried about fans, social media metrics, PC bullshit, or “their career.” Bottom line: this album proves that sometimes geezers still got it and can still kick ass without cheating in the studio.

Bloodclot
Up in Arms
[Metal Blade]