SIKK are a band from Belgrade, Serbia, and this is their debut release, put out on the German label Try And Stop Me Records. While the title points toward bovver rock, the result feels much more colorful and built on a wider range of influences. The singer in SIKK is Cobe, who you might know as the vocalist of Fitz. This is another project that this very active guy is involved in.
From listening to it, a good description would be a mix of bovver rock, ’80s Oi! punk, rock’n’roll, and more melodic punk. Basically, blend The Bruisers and The Beltones with Serbian temperament and their own take on bovver rock, and you’ll get this record. This isn’t about modern trends — it draws from the sound of the late ’80s and early ’90s. The tempo isn’t crushing either, more on the laid-back side. Cobe’s vocal delivery and range at times strongly remind me of the singer from The Beltones.
The album kicks off with the rock’n’roll-flavored love song Outta This World. The second track, Mayhem On The Road, leans toward melodic punk, built on an optimistic guitar lead, strong vocals, and supporting singalong parts that recall American bands from the ’90s. I could easily imagine playing this one on a bus at the start of a football away trip or a booze-up with friends (for the final stretch, I’d obviously switch to something by Discipline to reach the destination properly fired up).
The bell in the riot song Regal Mark, combined with the vocals, gives me a slightly Christmas-song vibe, and I can’t quite shake that feeling. What I really enjoy, though, are the lyrics: „We, the nobles of the streets, Monarchs of the pariah, Outcasts of the flock, Rockin‘ leper messiahs!“ If there’s one thing missing from the movie Love Actually to make it entertaining for me, it’s definitely a twenty-versus-twenty parking lot brawl.
Side B opens with L.O.N.D.O.N., a track about which city is next in line for some havoc. Rowdee Crowdee is a hooligan tale about looking forward to the weekend and diving into rock’n’roll, alcohol, and football-fueled fun. It’s my personal favorite on Side B. The record closes with Used To Be Fun. Hangovers and bills really do get worse with age. The intro of this track also gently steers my thoughts back to records by The Bruisers.
The visual concept of the record is excellent — styled as a denim jacket, with the album title as a back patch and the individual songs presented as separate patches. It’s not the first time I’ve seen this idea, but here it’s executed really well and the graphic design stands out. That quality carries over to the printed lyrics in the booklet.
This record feels like a Serbian soundtrack to Football Factory, Trainspotting, and RocknRolla — as if those films were set on a housing estate on the outskirts of Belgrade.
TOP TRACKY: Mayhem On The Road, Rowdee Crowdee
