Revenge of the Psychotronic Man’s debut album, Colossal Velocity, could quite possibly be over by the time you read the band’s name out loud. Clocking in at a little over 21 minutes, this is a no-frills, bare bones punk outing.
And that’s about it. That’s not to say it’s a bad album – it’s a fun, throwaway listen – but it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, or make any pretence of trying to. Taking its most obvious cues from D-beat hardcore and crossover thrash, Colossal Velocity, if not for its crisp production and some of the lyrics, wouldn’t have sounded out of place had it been released in 1986.
Lyrically, there’s a bit of a wink and a nod, as well as some silly songs like Malibu Phill (sang, intentionally or not, to the tune of The Pogues’ Sally MacLennane) and When I Start to Booze. Despite this, the political messages present in some tracks are communicated with sincerity. Being a punk band, these messages lie on the left of the spectrum, and while there is some cookie-cutter ‘stick it to the man’ nonsense (The Establishment), songs like Dismantling the Corby(n) Trouser Press give a specificity that a lot of political music lacks.
Though we could criticise Colossal Velocity for a lack of originality, to do so would miss the point, because as far as it’s concerned it achieves exactly what it sets out to do: provide a collection of fast-paced, no-nonsense punk songs. It’s short run-time means it never grates either: an hour or even forty minutes of songs ranging from 50 to 104 seconds would be, frankly, unbearable. So, top marks for creating an enjoyable, if disposable, fast-paced, no-frills punk album.
7/10
Standout Tracks: Small Minded NIMBY Prick, Dismantling the Corby(n) Trouser Press, Rrose Sélavy (To Make A Toast To Life)
For Fans Of: Discharge, Cro-Mags, Municipal Waste
Written by: Alan Cunningham
