The long-awaited new release from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Skate-Punk greats is a noughties riff-fest!
Veteran Skate-Punk band Noopinion (yep, it’s one word!) are from Germany, and after just over a decade’s hiatus, they’ve returned with ‘Revolt And Resolve’ – album number six. They originally formed back in 1998, and over the past quarter century have played over 2000 shows and shared stages with plenty of familiar names in Punk rock.
The band aren’t shy about showing their love for the skate-punk sound that proved so popular around the turn of the millennium, with much of this record recalling the likes of Strung Out, Good Riddance and No Use For A Name. They add a touch of hardcore (think Comeback Kid) and even the odd metallic twist here and there, and the results are highly compelling.
Opener ‘Shipwreck’ barrels in at 100mph, and sets the pace for much of the rest of the record, with singer/guitarist Philippe yelling “this situation’s out of control” among a sea of “whoa-ohs”. There’s a real sense of urgency to this record, as if the band didn’t just want, but need to say their piece and play with such intensity. (Needless to say, their name couldn’t be more of a misnomer!) ‘Embers In The Flames’ follows with a touch of shredding and some great Bad Religion-esque backing vocals.
There isn’t a lot of variation on the record in terms of sound, but my goodness, these songs are catchy as hell. Lead single ‘2000 Years’ absolutely rages, with Philippe’s vocals reminiscent of those of Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath. Other highlights include the frenetic ‘Last Words’, which boasts a chorus custom-built for yelling along in the midst of a circle pit, and ‘My Demons’, which starts slowly and mournfully before bursting into life in spectacular style.
Noopinion are hardly breaking new ground here, but that matters little when they’ve mastered their craft so well, and hence ‘Revolt And Resolve’ comes across less as a mere tribute to the genre than an injection of fresh vitality into a sound which (in our humble opinion) should never have gone out of fashion in the first place. Oh, and it probably sounds absolutely blistering when played live. Please head over to the UK’s shores as soon as possible, chaps!
Noopinion are: Philippe Lenk – Guitar/Vocals, Mike Thom – Bass/2nd Vocals, Patrik Fischer – Guitar, Stephan Sulzgruber – Drums
‘Revolt And Resolve’ is out now via Sbäm Records on streaming platforms, and you can order a CD / vinyl from HERE
Main Photo Credit:FRANK BIELICHEN
1. Shipwreck
2. Embers In The Flames
3. 2000 Years
4. Burning This Chapter
5. Last Words
6. My Demons
7. Ignorance In Fatal
8. Breaking Obligations
9. All Illusions
10. 21 Til Lifetime
Follow Noopinion on Their Socials:
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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