MADDOG SURRENDER
East Coast Oi! Fest
May 2008
text & pix by Jillian Abbene
(SugarBuzz Wash DC/Richmond)
SugarBuzz Magazine
Maddog Surrender represents everything blue-color. With their debut CD, ‘Bethlehem Steel,’ this is only their second appearance as a full-fledge band. Brent, the lead vocalist, is intense and concentrated as he landscapes the set with his throaty vocals.
Deeply, scowling the first gritty song, ‘Gangbusters,’ fuzzes-up with guitar and chunky bass with a definitive chugg—making this song a solid opener. Brent’s raw vocals projects like a death-grip. The last long-note he belts is surprising to me. He doesn’t blow it, but sails through to the end cleanly. It’s a good start.
‘Miss Dishonesty,’ is unique, holding the hustling bass. The shouting chorus and cymbals packs a one-two punch. A growling rock-n-roll riff cleans up before the wrap-up at the crash.
I like this next song. Brent begins the first verse while circling simultaneously around the parameters of the stage. ‘Nosebleed,’ has all the elements of solid Oi with faster guitar fringes along with equal measures of angst exhibited from all the band members. The lead vocalist for Flatfoot 56, Tobin, jumps up on stage, and joins Brent and Dave (the guitarist) in the chorus. Paramounting tribal drums crank in formation –- tailored for the pit.
A still-steady song, ‘Slow Me Down,’ breaks from guitar strums to ’77 guitar-fuzz in ‘SLF’ style. Tribal drums are back and stitch their way in cliffs of Oi, ticking through the guitar riff until the end.
The smuggling tinny chords in, ‘Viva La Tradition,’ collaborates with Brent’s gravely sharp vocals. This song is simplistic yet catchy. I always like the tinny sound “vintage” sound. This one’s definitely a sing-a-long, and this has the audience waving fists in the air.
Fast in old-school, ‘Butcher,’ clips in stuttering and sputtering chords packing in vaulted gang-vocals on the ‘wohs.’ The M8 propels the song into a surged but winding crash.
‘Something’s Gotta Give,’ whirrs in guitar strums as vocal Oi’s shift with only bass, drum and vocals. Plunking in catchiness, Brent is in the pit belting out the second verse. Tobin jumps up once again on stage to help out--adding vocal support with spirit, all for a wrap-up with a “Fuck yeah!”
Honorable Mentions: ‘Going Out In Style,’ for Brent’s ragged vocal solos, and ‘Sober Living,’ because of the sludgy guitar that muscles through the chunked up beat on top of a fainted backup chorus. It’s a nice touch.
In crowd participation, the set closes with, ‘Going Down The Bar,’ as an ode to The Wretched Ones. Tacking on a high-5 punch between Brent and Dave, there were lots of claps at the end. Way to go guys, it’s a clean debut.