Klaxon are an Oi! band from Rhode Island on the East Coast of the USA. This LP is made up of material written between 2023 and 2025. Originally, the band released these tracks one by one as singles on Bandcamp, and this year their release was taken over by the German label Lionheart Records. The result is ten tracks in total – the opening one is essentially an intro, but still a fully fledhed song with the minimalist lyric „Klaxon“. The remaining nine tracks form the band’s full-on original material.
Stylistically, this is Oi! in the spirit of US bands that blend elements of Oi!, punk and more or less melodic hardcore. Fans of barked, fast-paced parts as well as more melodic passages will definitely find something to enjoy here.
Klaxon kick things off with the self-titled track, complete with sirens, and from the very first notes the band launches into a mix of Oi! and punk driven by hardcore aggression. What follows are nine songs delivered in varying degrees of intensity, with straight-ahead, fast-paced hardcore punk playing the main role. The vocals shift between more melodic passages and hardcore shouts (most notably in Sound The Alarm), complemented by gang-style chorus vocals.
In some tracks, guitar leads stand out more prominently, such as in Comeback Of The Boots. Elsewhere, hardcore verses contrast with more melodic choruses, as heard in March On You. An absolute crusher is Antisocialite, which nails you to the wall like Martin Luther posting his theses against indulgences – without a doubt one of the highlights of the entire record. Other songs lean more heavily on solo motifs rooted in a streetpunk style, for example Slain In The USA, where the lead guitar enjoys its well-deserved moment in the spotlight.
Standing slightly apart is Blue Collar, Black Eye, which is noticeably more melodic than the rest of the material and shows that Klaxon are capable of other approaches beyond what dominates most of the album. The record closes with the burner Smith Hill, which works as a perfect finale. None of the songs mess around, and only Rank And File exceeds the three-minute mark – and only by two seconds. Most tracks clock in at around two to two and a half minutes, which I really appreciate: no unnecessary noodling, just a direct, energetic punch that never gets boring and simply unloads everything onto the listener.
Lyrically, the band tackles classic bootboys themes: the streets are ours, fake friends, separation from society and resistance against it, fights, fucked-up police, and the working class in a changing world. Exactly what defines this genre and what I expect from a band like this – so everything is right where it should be.
I feel this record is pretty underrated, or at least not getting as much attention as it deserves. This is the kind of album that makes you want to lace up your Dr. Martens and spend the evening in the pit under the stage with fellow fanatics. If there’s one thing that defines this US-favoured mutation of Oi! mixed with hardcore, it’s the geyser of energy erupting from this combination. Anyone who isn’t looking for ultra-melodic sing-alongs about how things were decades ago, nor slower tempos, will be more than satisfied here.
Released by Lionheart Records in an edition of 95 black and 270 white vinyl copies. Includes all lyrics. A great release – Klaxon are, in my opinion, a top-tier band in the Oi! genre: alive, aggressive and kicking in all directions.
TOP TRACKS: Antisocialite, March On You, Slain In The USA
