NO HOLDS BARRED "Stand As One" Review

I first discovered No Holds Barred when I saw Bill McFadden of The Beltones wearing one of their t- shirts in the inlay of “Cheap Trinkets”. My flawless logic dictated that if he, front man with my favourite band in the world, liked them then so would I. Unsurprisingly, I was correct and “Stand As One” remains a staple feature of my Oi! collection.

Despite generally disliking anything that promotes the notion of unity as intrinsically virtuous, opener “Stand As One” is ridiculously attractive. Resistance is futile in the face of galloping bass lines, a devastating pincer- movement of guitars and drums and to top it off the classic hooligan melodies that have characterised the best of the movement since its inception. No Holds Barred are relentlessly confrontational and simplistic in their approach to song writing and their charm lies in the impression they give of themselves as a less damaged and more optimistic pioneers of a Bonecrusher- like sound. This is not to discredit Bonecrusher (one of my favourite bands to date), but rather to say that No Holds Barred sound somewhat like a lighter yet just as devastating approach to American Street Punk.

I sometimes hate writing about albums like because there’s literally nothing to write punchy put downs about! Along with “Stand As One”, every other track on this album is nothing short of blinding. This is a thoroughly fantastic stab in the ribs of the Punk Rock scene and if you haven’t experienced No Holds Barred yet, make the obtaining of this album your prime directive.