Here’s a real treat for collectors of UK punk, as Boss Tuneage reissues these two seminal albums by Instigators, coinciding with the band returning to the live stage for the first time in 30 years.

Quick disclaimer: Although I have listened to Shockgun many times over the years, I didn’t get my hands on these records when they came out, so I can’t really assess how important they were at the time. 

That said, Instigators’ timeline is an interesting one to follow. From starting off in the Bluurg Records anarcho-punk world, following a significant line-up change, these two records document a move away from that universe. Starting with Phoenix, the melodic guitars and mid-paced songs remind me very much of bands of the era, such as Political Asylum, Dan, or Indian Dream. 

Around the time of these recordings, the band was touring more and making frequent trips to the US and Europe. In fact, as someone who has toured the DIY European circuit, I probably owe a great deal of thanks to Instigators for being one of the bands that will have helped establish that network (of friends).

You can hear international influences creeping in – a touch of Government Issue here, some Dag Nasty there perhaps. Of course, this is written from my retrospective point of view and is probably not what the band were thinking, but I imagine they were their peers at the time.

Shockgun is a logical progression of their sound between 1986 and 1988. Musically, it’s fantastic – creative drumming, great guitar work, and basslines sending the fingers running up and down the fretboard. The vocals are melodic, but not poppy. In that respect, this album reminds me of Verbal Assault, where the vocals work like an additional instrument that tells a story. It might sound weird, but it worked then, and it works now. They weren’t afraid to experiment, for example, One Way Ticket works as a solid punk rock tune, but only features guitars and vocals. 

On both albums, there’s plenty to sink your punk rock teeth into from a criminally underrated band. Welcome back, chaps, we’ve missed you… Tom Chapman