V/A – Anti-Disco League vol. 1 / 2006 TKO / 16 Tracks / http://www.tkorecords.com / http://www.templecomberecords.com / Reviewed 27 June 2006

The styles that are found on Anti-Disco League are diverse, to be honest. There are classic brands of oi, and there are much newer styles, especially present in tracks like Crashed Out’s “Heroes”. A number of the tracks on “Anti-Disco League” are fuzzy, but during songs like Haircut’s “France Perdue”, the fuzz benefits the tracks in some major ways. Each of the songs on this compilation has such a catchy nucleus present that individuals just know that these are the bands that are at the front line of oi music. When Stomper 98 do their “Lebenslauf”, there is little doubt in my mind tat they have a massive following in their home nation.

The inclusion of a horn in "Lebenslauf” puts the band at the top of the mountain, as it changes up the possible range of options available to oi bands on this compilation. There are not many major-name acts on this compilation (The Templars are about the most known act here), but the quality of the tracks on Anti-Disco League are without fail. Something else that is a shift from the first few tracks on “Anti-Disco League” is Counterattack’s “Brick & Stone”. In this track, the multiple speakers are given a workout as the band bounces from left to right and back again. Des Kontrol’s self-titled track on this album is yet another in the way of strong tracks for listeners to stumble onto; the track is brought to an entirely new level by the catchy, foreign-language chorus and the Rancid-like bass line that threads itself throughout the entirety of the track.

The disc’s sixteen tracks speed by quickly, but this is a disc that can be played over and over again. You remember that Ramones disc that is floating around your home or car? “Anti-Disco League” easily ties that disc for the sheer replay value that it has. Southpaw Manners continues this catchy tradition, tying together the seventies with the current period; I hear Prole just as much as I hear Face to Face in their music. This is not the average compilation, where all of the weaker tracks are put towards the end of the disc. What it seems like is that there were so many bands wanting to be on this album that Templecombe could pick and choose the cream of the crop; this is what individuals can find on this first volume of Anti-Disco League.

Top Tracks: Southpaw Manners “Lyonsheart”, Crashed Out “Heroes”

Rating: 7.1/10

[JMcQ]