No point pretending to be neutral here – Shaved For Battle from New York are easily one of my favorite bands of recent years. Their album Still Hated & Proud first dropped in 2024 in the US via Oi!tism Records and Liberty Or Death Records. A year later it got a proper European release from Try And Stop Me Records, available on blue or classic black vinyl, with a different cover than the American edition. The Euro version features a stripped-down, hand-drawn design that clearly nods to classic Last Resort artwork.
Musically, Shaved For Battle play raw, no-frills bootboy Oi! – closer to the ’84 school than to the American Oi! that’s often soaked in hardcore. Sonically, this is straight-up brickwall. They’re not part of the new wave of US Oi! acts like Castillo or Slugger. Also don’t expect any deep introspection, nor any post-punk detours – this is pure, proud, and rough Oi! through and through. Just proud, aggressive, and to-the-point Oi! fronted by a harsh, gravel-throated vocalist who drives the whole thing forward, even if the delivery sometimes makes the lyrics hard to catch. There are ten songs on the LP and the band’s output has been consistent – they’ve been cranking out new material at a solid pace.
Despite the toughness, the record feels surprisingly melodic – without sacrificing any bite. Lyrically, Shaved For Battle don’t sugarcoat anything. The lyrics are raw, direct, and totally un-PC – exactly what you want from Oi! Themes range from justice (When Justice Comes from You) to aggression and rage (Face Reality, Fuck You). No self-pity, no excuses: „You’re fat? Hit the gym and work on yourself. Still living at your parents‘ place and blaming bad luck? Get your act together“ (The Easy Way, Shame). To me, that’s the essence of what Oi! should be – no whining, just defiance and grit.
They take aim at political extremism from both sides, and at the kind of idiots who blindly swallow every trendy doctrine without thinking (Two Sides of a Coin, Your Enemy). They also go after scene gatekeepers who’ve been „true“ for about three months (Hostile), and critique a system where a handful of billionaires suffocate the rest of society. Their biggest concern seems to be the decline of working-class culture and the values they believe once defined the USA (American Values).
To me, they’re one of the standout bands of the moment. Straight-up, uncompromising Oi! with something to say. I’m curious to see where they go next – and whether they ever plan to come over to Europe. Their lyrics are deeply patriotic and heavily rooted in the American context, so it’s hard to say if they even want to reach an audience beyond the U.S.
Top tracks: American Values, The Easy Way, Your Enemy
