ARCH RIVALS ‎– A CONSTANT STATE OF WAR (2018)

Today will be listening to this band of Plymouth, UK. According to our friends of Spotify, their music is described as melodic Oi!/Street punk for everyone to sing along. 

So let's get started!

1. Nothing to Prove

Decent punk-rock track with powerful main and back vocals. I love the sound, although is not as typical Brit as other UK bands. You can easily follow the bass and Mr.Guitar clearly knows his job. Nothing special but is well played and makes you foot-tapping. ⭐⭐⭐

2. Black and Blue

We can hear the first Oi! Oi! Oi! of the album. The first part of the song and the bridge to part B follow the same good punk-rock style of the first track, but then the verse is rather simplistic and the whole song kind of fails. ⭐⭐

3. Arch Rivals

Slightly slower song and more melodic than the other two. Again, great voice and back vocals for this anthem. Tells you about the band itself and works very well. You will find yourself singing this song later on the day...Arch Rivals, street punk skinhead rock and roll. ⭐⭐⭐

4. Invisible City

I never liked when street punk bands play with ska-ish rhythms. So I was tempted to skip this track after the first round of chords, but ended up liking it! It is a good song, specially thanks to the catchy verse. You can tell these chaps spend time in the rehearsal room! ⭐⭐⭐

5. Here we Go Again
....and now time for rock and roll. Not my cup of tea, actually. Too easy and gets boring. ⭐⭐

6. One Day
By now I'm really enjoying how this band sounds and how good are the musicians - with a special remark for the bassist. Nevertheless, although i like most of the songs, I haven't found yet the bloody good song. ⭐⭐⭐

7. A Constant State of War
Probably the best song and the one that gives the name to the LP. The riff of the guitar is sublime but then, how weird, the singer decided to ruin the song and he sounds out of tune during the verse. The bridge of the bassist is quite puerile as well. Shame, because it is a great song. ⭐⭐⭐

8. Outlaws
Good chord rounds and top skill performances for this anthem, although a bit too slow to catch one's attention. ⭐⭐

9. The Struggle
The weird one. Lots of oooooh to start... really. Too many. The rest of the song has nothing special. I bet they don't play this live ⭐⭐

10. Wear Your Scars With Pride
Easier melody here and well structured, with a good change to the verse. Really works and you like it more, the more you listen to it. ⭐⭐⭐ 

11. Ripped Jeans
The second track with ska-ish rhythms to start. This one doesn't develop, though. Is all about the lyrics and the music has been built around them without deeper work. ⭐⭐

12. Once a Soldier
The song starts with "We will fight on the beaches" from Winston Churchill, followed by an excellent soldier song. All the parts are in their place. It is nicely played and sang. Good back vocals. Good riff. ⭐⭐⭐

Summary: It is so great to find bands like this with such skilled musicians. Arch Rivals sound solid and disciplined. Plenty of time in the studio is paying back and they just need a touch of magic to become greater and enter the legend hall. Not yet, but soon. Worth following! 

The Best: the bass

The worse: miss a muse 

Followers 637 (October 2018)