A radical, head-banging battle cry
Hardcore punk anarchy band R.A.M.B.O. has a lot to say. Most recently, they shared their 2022 LP Defy Extinction, a rocking record that marks their first in over a decade. Brimming with 17 turbulent tracks, the Philly band’s latest album dropped on November 4. Their work is meant to alert listeners about the impending dangers facing (and created by) humanity as a result of political transgression.
“River of Birds” opens the album with a flood of distortion, followed by a synced succession of booming chords and beats. This song is a head-banger from the start, effectively foreshadowing the album’s general spirit. The opening track’s instrumentation is powerful, perhaps to remind listeners of a call to battle. When its pace speeds up, “River of Birds” uses a chord pattern similar to the intro as a signal for the first verse. The song’s chorus features ascending guitar chords and throaty vocalization dedicated to protecting our flying friends, with straightforward lyrics like “Save our birds.”
“The End is Nye” came out prior to Defy Extinction in early October as one of R.A.M.B.O.’s pre-released singles. This shorter track (51 seconds) packs a punch with chordal jumps of electric guitar strings and a thudding bassline. Almost immediately, a series of amplified grunts delivers lyrics about how “silence dies” and “the end is nye.” The song, like many on this album, is a wave of stomping ferocity.
For a more authentic experience of the album’s title track “Defy Extinction,” listen with headphones on. The single divides opening instrumentation by left and right ear, likely with panning technology. On your left, enjoy the rippling strings of the electric guitar and after four counts, the drums fill in on both sides to round out the sound. Again though, the left side embraces its beginning phrase, this time with a jumble of distortion and static resonating on the right.
The full instrumentation of “Defy Extinction” comes into focus just in time for repeated chants of lyrics “defy extinction,” followed by a call and response about survival. While lyrics stay deeply rooted in the song’s message, the electric guitar takes its own journey through a forest of rapidly paced riffs and churning melodies. Later, the satisfying thump of a low-toned drum rhythm triggers the syllabic shouts of “de-fy,” like marching rebels grinding their message into the minds of their enemies.
Though combative in style, Defy Extinction offers consistency and determination through prominent lyrical repetition. The album is a stormy sea; it may take a few listens to successfully navigate the choppy waters of its musical intensity, but comfort lies in its anchored theme of persistent resilience in the face of political turmoil and threats to struggling fauna.
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