Following on from their debut 10\” release, this debut album from Lowlands band (ie Belgian and Dutch) comes highly anticipated. The debut came as a surprise to me, as This Means War offered a more melodic approach to the streetpunk sound than most bands from the region, albeit with some hardcore touches here and there with powerful breakdown parts. Since that record the band have brought Carlo and Dave from Discipline and Backfire! into the fold and although this hasn\’t altered the band\’s musical chemistry, you can hear some classic Discipline touches in the sound for example on I Found The One complete with football intro. This Means War definitely belong to the Cock Sparrer school of songwriting, with emphasis on rocking guitars meeting catchy as fuck vocal lines, but as with the debut you can hear the occasional hint of hardcore that the pounding rhythm section adds to the mix. They\’ve rounded the album off with a tune named Devil In Disguise and a nod to the rock\’n\’roll roots, much like later Bruisers records – paying homage to the origins of our music that go way beyond the schools of’ 77 or ‘82. The overall result is that they have managed to identify and define their own style and bang out a powerful debut album that really sets the bar high for anyone else releasing a record this year. Tom Chapman