World Of Pain

This is the first full length record by these street punk legends and it is much rawer than their later stuff. This record is an explosive mix of the bands influences. You hear where the band is headed but they have not distilled their sound yet on “World Of Pain”. I am guilty of writing this record off as an after thought. I knew it had good songs but I got in to the “Singles Collection” CD and “Followers Of A Brutal Calling” Albums way before I heard this Record.
Two reasons why I am rewriting this record review. First reason is obvious if you read the review the first time, I sucked. I am not a very talented wordsmith. My grammar and spelling sucks elephant balls. But holly shit are those old review absolutely hideous. The second reason is Riotgun. I was doing a review for the criminally underrated Riotgun album and I made reverence to Bonecrusher and that California street punk sound. So I started rocking Crusher records. luck or fate have it I started at the beginning with “World Of Pain”.
What was criminal was the years I did not really listen to this record. Yea, I would cherry pick songs like “Porn Star”, “Poverty”, and “Living Hell”, But this record is so much more. As I said in the first review this record is rawer then the bands later records and as I said above the bands influences are completely on display. If it be English punk bands like The U.K. Subs, Chelsea, American punk bands like The Dead Boys, The Misfits, Channel 3, New York Dolls, or it be good old rock and blues. They cook these sounds tell all that is left is lean, mean street rock. Add some barking Oi! choruses, sharp biting lyrics and presto! You have the sound and attitude of this great fucking band. Storming your ears with fierce drums and a voice that you will not forget rips the first song “Crime Wave”.
While digging back in to this record one of the songs that caught my attention was “Heart Of Stone”. Raybo’s passionate voice with lyrics that cut straight to the bone is something real special.
Funny how we miss things the first few time around. I skipped passed “Bottom Of The Sea” a thousand times. Never really listening to the song. Or maybe it is timing. At a hard point in life were work and personal life are really kicking my ass, I now truly hear this song. From the bitter tough lyrics to the ripping guitar I hear all of this song so fucking clear now.
With a deep haunting vibe “Fire” kicked my ass, with Raybo’s voice delivering the blows. The dark bluesy tone and the heavy beat pulsates through your flesh to the fucking bone. I have talked about how Bonecrusher has a soul to their songs of hard living and harder choices. This music is not about fashion. This record is a dark heavy slab of street punk, that will not only get you rocking out but can speak to the dark corners in us all.
With some hard work and help from some really good friends I have started to rebuild my record collection after the fire three years ago. I built a list of records I really want to have on vinyl. Now after listening to this record again every Bonecrusher record is on that list.