The Old-Timers- Soli Deo Gloria
Fourteen
songs, twenty-four and a half minutes. I haven’t picked up a punk record in a
while that had an average of less then two minutes per song. The Old Timers’
disc Soli Deo Gloria is a powerhouse of hardcore punk reminiscent of
Minor Threat, and The Business. This angst-ridden album reminds me why I got
into punk in the first place.
The crunchy
guitars and fast drums are a great companion to the screaming Scottish tinged
vocals. The lyrics leave no one safe. The Old-Timers are mad at self-righteous
religious folks, poverty, the government, and culture at large. Unlike most
bands that just bitch and complain The Old-Timers offer a solution and that
solution is Jesus Christ.
Now stop
right there. I know what a lot of you punks are thinking. Yes, listening to a
lot of Christian Punk is like getting stuck behind the school bus on your
morning commute, “Oh, for cryin’ out loud! Can’t we just be done with this?” I
assure you, this is not the case for Soli Deo Gloria. Not often does a
Christian punk (dang near, Oi!) band actually have the chops to be able to pull
off a record that can be enjoyed by more than just pastor’s kids looking for a
way to piss off mom and dad.
The album’s
“Intro” drives it right home that this will be a fast paced, circle pit, punch
in the face record. On top of that it leaves nothing to the imagination as far
as the lyrics go: “We’re the Old-Timers pressing on/longing for the day we
go home/ Holy, Holy, Holy, worshiping the Ancient of Days.”
This bleeds
well into the pro-Jesus, anti-religion track “Adoni’s Agape” which then
transitions perfectly into “This City” which leaves nobody unscathed. For the
rest of the album they pick apart everything from how we rebel, to how positive
thinking isn't enough, and of course how we all need a little more circle pit
in our daily lives.
This band believes that Jesus is the answer
to all of societies problems just as much as Bad Religion thinks He is the
cause. It is no preaches no more about Jesus then the Dropkick Murphys preach
about the plight of the working man. It rails hard against religious hypocrisy
and governmental and social negligence. There is no lack of confidence in this
band. They take full control of the medium and the message. There is no doubt
that they are true punkers but more importantly true Christ followers.
I
give Soli Deo Gloria a solid 8 out of 10. This is a great introduction
to these South African punk rockers. You can pick it up at their label, ThumperPunk Records.
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