Vote With A Bullet, But Vote

Prison for praise is not worth thinking
Sin is still in and our ballots are shrinking
So unleash the dogs - the only solution
Forgive and forget, fuck no
I'm talking about a revolution!

Having totally played ‘Elected’ out and feeling a little too angry for Clutch excellent ‘How To Shake Hands’ I have turned to Corrosion of Conformity for my election thrills this time around*.

Having now finally got the opportunity to vote out the most corrupt, incompetent, complacent government of my lifetime – featuring two of the worst prime minister’s our sceptred isle has ever suffered, I intend to fucking revel in it. For once I rather get the feeling I am not alone.

Yes there are unpleasant nativist tides stirring in the background already for our next government and I struggle to understand how as a species we have not evolved beyond an instinctive urge towards fascism’s simple-answers-for-complex-problems schtick. Maybe my optimistic liberal hippy upbringing failed to account for the number of uncaring venal morons there are out there, we will see.

So whilst I will celebrate the inevitable result I am not approaching 5th July as the dawn of a new Arcadia. Rather, as a hopeful staging post on the long journey to repair the damage done to my beautiful, battered, semi-poisoned nation.

Corrosion of Conformity Vote With A Bullet fits where I am just now, not that I am advocating a violent revolution for a second, just the mood of it.

I love the dry heaviness of the track, no lubrication for you military-industrial complex! It’s the only cut on Blind that Pepper Keenan sings lead on and I love the job he does, a perfect mix of sneering menace and hollered truths.

The riffing here is far more reminiscent of Helmet than any metal act I can conjure with; which is a very good thing in this context. To that end the rhythm section have that propulsive aggressive bounce exactly on point.

The video is very early 90’s, but worth preserving in the Smithsonian for Keenan’s hair alone – it is a thing of rare, sleek beauty. I am half-smitten, half paralyzed by envy. Well played sir!

The rest of the 12″ is I afraid a bit rote. There is a live track, a MC5 cover, an album track and a jokey jam with a hideous title. None of it sells me.

Let’s just stick with the burly fury and and cold fusion of the title track. I may be playing this a lot over the next few days.

One last chance mission with a vision
'Cause our lives are just cards in their stack
Our time is short but theirs is shorter
How much longer can they hold us back

See you up on the barricades one day.

1237 Down.

*how can this song be 33 years old?!!