It’s safe to say that this amateur scribe has been suffering from some rock ‘n’ roll disillusionment. Having not put pen to paper in over two months, I’ve questioned the cocksucking music game. But what’s this on my digital doormat? Could it be a garage punk rock record that’s sure to make me believe in something once more? Enter The Hip Priests with Stand For Nothing.

Opting for 7” singles galore and coupling ‘em with relentless touring, it’s been a successful route for Nottingham’s naughtiest. And has it really been 5 years since their last full length in the shape of Black Denim Blitz? Jeez. In 2018, The Hip Priests gave us No Time (Like Right Now); a ten minute stab at the government and a call to arms for the UK to wake up. Could Stand For Nothing be a natural progression? Strap yourselves in, rock fans. I’ve a feeling this ride is not gonna be pretty.

Followers of the band will already know of their verdict on the right royal fucking mess that is Brexit Britain, and so Welcome to Shit Island blasts straight off the bat in that musical style Priests’ fans are more than familiar with. Yep, it’s a high octane, take no prisoners onslaught. For all the frantic fretwork, the first thing that hits you right between the eyes are the lyrics. Boy are they good. You want a rally against the current political climate? You got it… fucking tenfold. The title track follows suit with rage against corporate whores. Yay, yay and thrice yay.

Previously released Cheers To Me pauses the record for a much needed stop off at the pub. This anger thing sure is thirsty work! It’s straight back to the venom on the catchy, hand clapping Losers of the Faith and the outsider anthem that is Social Hand Grenade. It’s a stab at the narcissism of the double edged self-promotion sword that is Facebook on U Okay Hun? DeJa F. U. follows with “social fuckin’ media needy fuckin’ pricks.” The track also proves that you don’t need to play at one million miles an hour to have raw power.

Thundering bass is the order of the night on From Here to Adversity before How Do You Get Off? is something of a musical curveball that may well take a fully paid-up Spasm Gang member by surprise. The penultimate Happy Tom introduced Last Train Wrecks is an ode to the debauched Scandi Rock road before Rock ‘N’ Roll Leper is five and half minutes of classic Priests.

Stand For Nothing is arguably The Hip Priests’ cumming of age. The sexual connotations, drug use and innuendo of the past have been tamed, and what you’re left with is an angry, misanthropical, thunderbolt of a record that deserves high praise. I speak for the production values, also. Such is this long player’s urgency, it grabs you by the collar, shakes your braindead head and slaps you around the chops before demanding you to decide whether you are going to be the problem or whether you are going to be the solution. You must choose, brothers. YOU. MUST. CHOOSE. If you buy one rock ‘n’ roll record this year, make it Stand For Nothing. Ginge Knievil