Friday, February 10, 2023

Civic - Taken By Force


Wow. On its sophomore full-length album Taken By Force, Melbourne-based punk quintet Civic has just about knocked my head off. A follow-up to 2021's remarkable Future Forecast, Taken By Force finds Civic as locked in as ever to its high-powered, timelessly Australian punk rock and roll style. With force, fury, and conviction, the band continues to carry the influence of The Saints, Radio Birdman (Rob Younger produced the album!), Celibate Rifles, etc. fully into the 21st Century. If you're craving classic Aussie punk rock, you can't do much better than songs like "End of the Line," "Fly Song," and "Time Girl." These songs practically explode out of your headphones or speakers! Just as Future Forecast did, Taken By Force supplements the raw power of its more raging tunes with some impressive deep cuts. The brooding slow-burner "Trick of the Light," cryptic muscular rocker "Neighbor Sadist," and powerful pop track "Blood Rushes" are all successful detours from the band's otherwise blistering approach. The dark, post-apocalyptic feel of the album is no accident: the band retreated to the middle of nowhere (Elphinstone, actually) to record these songs in eerie isolation. Fittingly, the album begins with the sound of creepy sirens and ends with bleak synthesizer playing over the sound of ocean waves. This vibe imbues even the album's straight-ahead punk tracks with a deeply innerving sensation. In collaboration with living legend Younger and mixing & mastering guru Mikey Young, the band has realized its biggest, punchiest sound to date. The guitars sound massive; the drums hit so hard that you'll feel it in your bones. And those solos are pure fire! In typical Civic fashion, these songs burn hot without any diminishment of melody. Taken By Force is an exciting, absolutely great punk rock record inspired by the past yet equally in tune with the present. Get it now from ATO Records and Cooking Vinyl Australia!

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