For those who are not sure what a kleptocracy is, it is defined as a society whose leaders become rich and powerful by stealing from the rest of the people. This may strike a chord with you, especially with the events of recent times. Does anyone want a PPE contract?
This should give you an idea of the general direction of travel of Kleptocracy. Ferocious Dog describes it as an album that delves into themes of social injustices and the enduring fight against exploitation, echoing their commitment to shining a light on the issues affecting Broken Britain and our world today. The band not only focuses on the challenges we face in modern times, but also on historical events that have helped shape the world as we know it today. Sometimes, to move forward it is necessary to be inspired by the change agents of the past.
Following up on their 2021 album, The hope, Kleptocracy sees a further evolution of his music. While they are labeled as a folk-punk band, that doesn't really cover it. Sure, it's a convenient label, but they draw from other genres as well. On this album, they feature some hardcore punk, a little hard rock, a little blues, and numerous folk influences from around the world. So does the new album savagely attack you or does it just bare its teeth and growl before leaving with its tail between its legs?
This 12-track album starts off in smart style and sets the tone well with 'Witch Hunt'. It tells a classic story of people attacking those who are different, afraid of their power and what they don't understand. A complete set of Ferocious Dog, it reminded me of the late Mensi, lead singer of Angelic Upstarts, as he sang: “The Law of Animals/Destroy what you don't understand” in the 1981 song 'I Understand'.
Lead singer Ken Bonsall's claws really sharpen on the gorgeously anthemic track 'Sus Laws'. Ferocious Dog combines the lessons of history and applies them to the present day. The “sus law” (suspicious person) was a stop and search law. It allowed a police officer to stop, search and arrest people on suspicion of violating the Vagrancy Act 1824. Two witnesses were needed to support the charge, usually two police officers patrolling together. This was abused and certain sections of society were attacked.
“More blacks, more dogs, more Irish/Should be written ten feet high/In this land of hope and glory/We should all welcome them.” Bonsall proclaims in a nod to the old posters that decorated many pub, shop, rental properties and guest house windows, demonstrating how unwelcome foreigners were by some sections of society. Nick Wragg and Luke Grainger hold the track together with bubbling bass and pounding drums while Bonsall hits the mark with his sharp lyrics. A guaranteed live favorite, in my opinion.
The current government will be next to get a kicking with the album's title track. A classic slice of folk-punk from Ferocious Dog, it sounds like someone put The Levellers and Stiff Little Fingers in a blender and then sprinkled in some old Nottinghamshire magic to take it up a notch. “A symphony of privilege of wealth and deception/While everyone strives to get rich, the common people who are deceived” Bonsall spits angrily, showing his contempt for the current rulers sitting in Westminster, putting themselves before their electorate.
'Iron Mike Malloy' is a big, energetic Irish folk-influenced adventure that tells the sad story of a County Donegal man living in New York who fell on hard times during the Great Depression. You may have seen this true story on the BBC program 'Qi' not long ago. In 1933, five of Malloy's acquaintances took out life insurance policies on Malloy to obtain a quick and attractive payout. Their plan: give Malloy free booze until he dies. It was not so simple as Malloy seemed stubborn and refused to obey.
I won't go into the full story (I must leave you with some surprises) as the song does so in detail, but the story is truly amazing. If the band plays this live, I hope they have enough oxygen on standby while the song comes at you at an alarming rate.
If you want to turn it up further and increase the intensity to 'crazy', then 'Merthyr Rising' does just that… and then some. Featuring Bonsall's machine-gun voice with a polka-infused melody, this song is another historical example of the working classes saying, “enough is enough.”
Interesting fact: The Merthyr Rising marked the first time the red flag was used as a symbol of working class rebellion in the United Kingdom. There's one for trivia night at Spam and Womble.
After being beaten for five tracks in a row, we get a chance to take a breather. 'A Place We Call Home' is a soft ballad that reminds me of a mix of The Men They Couldn't Hang and Oysterband. “We will dream of a place to rest/In a city of cardboard boxes where love conquers fear/But until that day comes, we will wander the unknown/Facing struggles together with a love that has grown” Bonsall sings before Lizzey Joy Ross ably joins in on vocal duties.
Although dealing with difficult subject matter, 'Blood Soaked Shores' is presented in a positive light, both lyrically and musically. “But why do we fight these useless wars/When all we reap are blood-soaked shores/The madness of man, his ego and his pride/Leads us to destruction with nowhere to hide?,” Bonsall posits from a position of experience after his son, Lee, sadly took his own life after serving in Afghanistan. The song exposes the desire to stop the senseless loss of life caused by armed conflict.
Who's up for a round of hardcore punk? Guitarist Kyle Peters gives Bonsall a break and takes on vocal duties on 'Darker Side Of Town'. A suitably punk riff plays as Jamie Burney's violin adds a haunting feel to this already dark song.
'Matty Groves' is a traditional folk song, with the Ferocious Dog treatment. With a wild and moving rhythm, courtesy of Luke Grainger, the song dates back to the early 17th century and tells the saga of a clandestine meeting between a young man and a noblewoman that ends when the noblewoman's husband discovers their antics and decides to kill them. both. . Oh, what shenanigans they had in the 17th.th century!
Proving that it's not all fierce folk-punk with Ferocious Dog, 'Running With The Hounds' offers a very catchy melody, with beautiful strings from Sam Wood and Jamie Burney making this song sound a bit like The Dead South at their peak. expression. It provides a respite from the assault of the album's final two tracks.
I think most people know the story of 'Moby Dick'. The monomaniacal Captain Ahab and all that nonsense. The story is often cited as an allegorical tale of man attempting to dominate nature, or of man's mad desire to triumph and dominate at any cost in the pursuit of glory. Regardless of how you interpret Herman Melville's story, you will enjoy this musical presentation. Set to the tune of the beautiful Ukrainian folk song 'Tsyhanochka' (My Gypsy), it gives the song a real sea shanty feel. You could imagine Queequeg, Starbuck, Perth and others singing this at the Pequod.
The final track in Kleptocracy It's an explosion of pure punk. At just 81 seconds long, 'Anger On The Streets' is a condensed barrage of fury and ferocity. “Anger in the streets, resentment in their eyes/The weight of oppression, the truth they cannot disguise/Equality is silenced generating seeds of anger/Anger in the streets paves a straight path” Bonsall shouts, expelling more bile than is strictly healthy. The biggest compliment I can give this song is that it reminds me of Edinburgh's finest, The Exploited, with Bonsall doing his best Wattie Buchan impersonation. Sorry Ken, you're very good but there's only one Wattie! A great way to end the album, it leaves you fired up and ready to fight for equality, justice and honesty.
If you purchase the deluxe CD version of the album, you'll get four bonus tracks for your audio enjoyment. The best of these is 'Protest Singer Blues', closely followed by 'Brixton's Burning'. Channeling his inner Woody Guthrie, who has inspired so many musicians for almost 90 years, Bonsall makes an appeal on 'Protest Singer Blues'. “So join me in this fight, let's raise our voices/For a just world where the truth will never die/In the face of oppression we will stay united and strong/With guitars and voices, our protest will live on.” he declares as he follows in the footsteps of Guthrie, Seeger, Ochs, Dylan and Bragg, to name just a few.
'Brixton's Burning' takes us back to 1981 and the Brixton riots, yet another incident fueled by the continued use of sus laws. The Thatcher government ordered an inquiry, led by Lord Scarman. He found indisputable evidence of the disproportionate and indiscriminate use of “stop and search” powers by police against black people, an issue that remains prominent today.
To paraphrase Billy Bragg in his song 'Waiting for the Great Leap Forward', what's the point of mixing pop and politics? Well, as Ferocious Dog has wonderfully demonstrated with Kleptocracy, there are all the points. By shedding light on historical and current issues, a line can be drawn through the struggles that many people faced throughout the centuries and their relevance to today's society and political landscape. Folk music was always a way to keep stories alive so that future generations could learn and understand them. Ferocious Dog acts as a conduit for the injustices of the past and as a speaker to focus on the inequalities, corruption and prejudices people face today.
Kleptocracy is based on the success of The hope, blending the band's irresistible and dynamic live sound with a firm, forceful and more refined feel. I have no doubt that the faithful fans of the band, the Hell Hounds, will love this album. It meets many requirements and also creates some new ones. It is angry, vociferous, boisterous, relevant, vital, reflective, emotional, melodic, embracing and unifying. That's a lot for 41 minutes, but somehow they've done it.
Clearly, the Big Bad Dog still has an aggressive bark and a ferocious bite. But don't worry, you'll be perfectly safe…unless you're conservative.
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