Street Dogs and Devils Brigades

If you value your neck or much of your skeletal system you should probably stop reading this review right now because the two albums on offer here by Street Dogs and Devils Brigade will rob you it if you're not careful. Attacking songs with a speed that's somewhere near the speed of sound, these bands clearly don't fear anything and in fact you can't help but wonder if they kind of want to sacrifice themselves for their songs. Blistering speed and neck injuries aside, the two bands Street Dogs and Devils Brigade are punk bands that come together from two different sides of the proverbial tracks. Boston's Street Dogs are a punk band with purpose and are constantly seeking social justice and the struggle of the working class. On the other side of the street is Devils Brigade which is actually a side project launched by Rancid's Matt Freeman and has a west coast Bay Area feel to it. Which ever side of the tracks you fall on, both releases from Hellcat Records are mind numbingly punishingly good punk rock.

Devils Brigade are a raw and rambunctious outfit, as one might expect from a member of Rancid, and their self titled album is the sound of a blast of gut punches set to a beat. Sounding as though it were recorded in a garage after a night of binge drinking, Devils Brigade is violent, under-produced and embraces its punk rock roots with a series of bone crunching bear hugs. It's fast, destructive, and destined to kill itself by the end of the twelve song set. And yet, in the middle of all this mayhem there are moments where you can't help but go...what the heck. "Gentleman of the Road," is one such moment; sounding like some sort of dusty rockabilly tune modernized, it's a moment that stands out like a broken thumb. Devils Brigade is a violent but likable record that will have Rancid fans falling over themselves, and everyone else reaching for neck braces and chiropractor appointments. Devils Brigade is awesome unprocessed punk rock with no artificial ingredients that's in touch with it's roots and the struggles of the everyday man. Much like Devils Brigade, Street Dogs are all about the struggle...

Street Dogs constant fight for the working classes is reflected in their belief that you alone must stand your ground. Their self-titled album is warp speed trip through the current state of the world and how no matter if you're from Boston or Jacksonville, we're all in this together. Their songs are melodic, lightening quick, and have more horsepower than a Formula One car and yet beneath all that power there's a message. Street Dogs hit you square in the face and leave a black eye while making you think pretty much about everything. While intelligent and thought provoking, Street Dogs still know how to have fun and much of their self-titled album is packed to the rafters with a rather upbeat melodic vibe that might roll you over like a steam roller and put you in touch with your inner Celt but you'll find yourself having fun either way. Pretty cool if you ask me. Street Dogs is pure Bostonian punk rock that's unrelenting and really quite good.

As fate would have it, this dynamic duo of punk rock devastation is headed to Florida. Street Dogs and Devils Brigade bring their tour to our lovely state this month and will be bringing their undoubtedly energetic live show to Freebird on September 12th. You can find out more information on the Street Dogs/Devils Brigade tour either bands myspace pages (http://www.myspace.com/streetdogs and www.myspace.com/devilsbrigadeofficial). Once again, if you value your skeletal system, you might want to just skip this tour and catch the Mantovani extravaganza instead. For the rest of you, bring your insurance card and enough money for an emergency room visit because my guess you might need it.