V/A: Oi! Ain’t Dead Vol. 8 – Chaos In Nederland
Release year: 2023
Label: Rebellion Records
Long running oi! label Rebellion Records’ latest compilation ties together many strings. First of all, it’s the eight entry in their Oi! Ain’t Dead series, which is of course a spin on the classic Condemned 84 song. It’s also their third compilation of Dutch oi!, following in the spirit of the two Oi! Made In Holland compilations. And, it’s the latest installment in the multitude of spiritual successors to the legendary Chaos En France oi! compilation from 1983, sharing in the traditional cover style.
So this compilation plants its feet in the fertile soil of oi! tradition. But on the other hand, it opens up a vista into the current state of oi! with one slice of the pie. A Dutch slice. What can we say about where oi! is in 2023 based on this?
In a surprisingly good place, that’s for sure. In many reviews I’ve lamented the state of oi!, but I’m starting to suspect I’ve just been a broken record repeating the same old song, or just parroting a too-oft repeated platitude. Because this compilation features lots of good bands, and combining it with, for example, a spiritual colleague, Tough Ain’t Enough’s brilliant Chaos In Basque Country (review here), it paints a rather different picture of where oi! is currently.
Well, I’ve no problem with admitting I was wrong. Especially when it’s about the state of oi! oi! music. I’m glad my negativity has been proven wrong.
Chaos In Nederland provides a nice cut-through of the Dutch scene, featuring both veteran bands and more unknown and/or newer bands. There’s the rougher, more brickwall style represented, as well as more sleazier rock & roll and Dropkick Murphys style street punk. Basically, a large part of the oi! spectrum is represented here – even the more metallic fringes.
Live By The Sword, featuring on guitar the owner of Rebellion Records, brings the heaviness with March Or Die, a track that is an unashamedly hard piece of heavy metal punk. The oi! is starting to wear thin here, or would be were it not for the vocals of Erick Barnes, which are pure bootboy aggro. Bent Out Of Shape with two songs bring some very classic oi! – some of those riffs sound awfully familiar – and focus on all the right things: Sound Of Sirens has a simple but catchy chorus you’ll be singing along to in no time, and superbly gruff vocals (this is an Evil Conduct cover, and in my opinion one of the rare cases where the cover trumps over the original). Bullbar on the other hand have a bit of a The 4-Skins meet Slade feeling in their tough but catchy sound.
On the other hand, Subrockers and Stealers bring the sleaze and rock & roll to the party. Both of these could just as well be on some action rock compilation featuring guys in baseball caps, denim jackets and flannell shirts. Armistice remind me a bit of earlier Skrewdriver with a more rocking touch – musically, obviously, only, no insinuations as to the band’s politics. And Day Drinker share some similarities to earlier Dropkick Murphys, although with far more rock & roll riffs.
And so on.
This slice of bald-headed life (some of the guys probably have hair on their heads, too) gives a good insight into the Dutch scene: there are plenty of bands with plenty of variety. Rebellion has done a good job repping several of them also with album releases in the past, but if some of these names have slipped by you, this is a great chance to get up to speed.
I’m still saying the Basque Country is the hotbed for oi! oi! music at the moment, but Chaos In Nederland proves there’s stuff to pay heed to elsewhere, as well.
Only Death Is Real 