The Bruisers have always maintained a peculiarity about their sound that secures their legendary reputation and their ability to stand apart from a sea of shaven heads. “Independence Day” is one of my personal favourites because it combines the primitive musical brutality that all Skinheads love with lyrics sung (producing the rock n’ roll edge that characterises this band’s brand of Oi!) or shouted and concerned with the stock bovver boy preoccupations of boots, braces and pride. There is, too, a nod to the heritage of this more modern scene that is The Bruisers’ cover of Blitz’s “Nation On Fire” which is true to the original but with a good old Boston boot up the arse for good measure.
“We Will Survive” is probably the most ferocious song on the album and a sure dance floor filler at any Dr. Marten appreciation society. It is anthemic in content and execution and the brutal accessibility of the lyrics “Oi! Oi! Oi! We’re Skinheads, Oi! Oi! Oi! We kick fucking heads” make for an instant classic.
There isn’t a bad track on this EP and “Never Fall” also provides a refreshing insight into the everyday activities of a working class Skin set to a sing- a- long melody whilst “My Pride” has a resilience about it that cannot fail to charm. It’s easy to see why this band became such icons to their later Boston counter parts, why bands like Blood For Blood pay them such vehement homage on record and thrilling to hear a band who carved out their own place in the history of Oi! music as opposed to creating ploddy, boring background bootboy music like so many others.
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