It’s been a while since we did one of these. In fact, looks like in all of Only Death Is Real’s history, we’ve only done one year round-up. High time for a second one, don’t you think? So, here are … Continue reading A year in summation: 2022
LIVE BY THE SWORD: The Glorious Dead E.P. Release year: 2022Label: Rebellion Records As I wrote in my review (read here) of US-Dutch Live By The Sword’s debut full-length, Exploring Soldiers Rise, they represent an oi! band of a new … Continue reading Remembering the glorious dead
STRIKE FIRST: War Release year: 2022Label: Rebellion Records There seems to be a minor paradigm shift going on in oi!, at least as far as the visuals go. Dreary streets, beer, boots and braces are making way for covers that … Continue reading Strike first in war
LAKI & JÄRJESTYS: Uusi aika Release year: 2022Label: Hell’s Tone Records In my review of Finnish Laki & Järjestys’ debut 7″ EP (click here to read) I lamented the fact that relatively few homegrown oi! bands have made a full … Continue reading A new time for law & order
B-SQUADRON: Everything You Hate Release year: 2022Label: Rebellion Records One of the newer crop of UK oi! bands – relatively speaking – B-Squadron have prior to this released one album, one 7″ and taken part in some compilations. Considering their … Continue reading B-Squadron and things you hate
V/A: Chaos In Basque Country, 1. Bolumena Release year: 2021Label: Tough Ain’t Enough Records I’ve already touched upon what an eccentric but delightful oddity it is, that the strongest oi! scene of today is in the Basque Country. This autonomous … Continue reading Oi! in Basque Country
PRESSURE 28: Stand Your Ground Release year: 2022Label: self-released Talking about the latter-day classics of UK oi! and skinhead music, Pressure 28 are… well, not a band you usually see mentioned. The reason for that is pretty obvious, too: though … Continue reading Pressure 28 stand their ground
KALEKO URDANGAK: Bizirik Release year: 2021Label: Tough Ain’t Enough Records Of all the unlikely places for one of the most burgeoning, active and just plain old good oi! scenes to pop up, the Basque Country (in Spain) definitely ranks pretty … Continue reading Oi! from the Basque Country
HATS & CAPS: Going Nowhere Release year: 2021Label: KB Records About a year ago, in my review of Laki & Järjestys’ 7″ (read here) I remarked that Finnish oi! has often been in short supply. Luckily, at the moment things … Continue reading Going nowhere with Hats & Caps
THE LAST RESORT: Skinhead Anthems IV Release year: 2021Label: Randale Records This year it will be 40 years since UK oi! group The Last Resort released their landmark album, A Way Of Life – Skinhead Anthems. Much water has passed … Continue reading Anthems for skinheads
Only Death Is Real 