Here We Go Again - Wasted

...on the Boss Tuneage label, Here We Go Again captures the band as they were between the abovementioned dates and reminds us of the set standard for the new album when it finally arrives.

Wasted started life in Joensuu in late 1996 and, eight years on, are fast becoming a recognised force in the punk genre. Finland rarely figures when people think of Europe, let alone within the punk scene. Located away from most people’s blinkered radar ...
...idiosyncrasies of our political leaders, Here We Go Again is a testament to good judgement and righteous call for action.

Choosing English as their recorded language of choice, Wasted isolate themselves from the Finnish market but are subsequently embraced by the global market, whose trend it is towards a uniform and accessible global language. Even if this isn’t their native language it would appear that no intended meaning is lost ... more

Finland’s finest punk export, Wasted, return with a 29-track compilation of 7” material released between 1998 and 2001. Out on the Boss Tuneage label, Here We Go Again captures the band as they were between the abovementioned dates and reminds us of the set standard for the new album when it finally arrives.

Wasted started life in Joensuu in late 1996 and, eight years on, are fast becoming a recognised force in the punk genre. Finland rarely figures when people think of Europe, let alone within the punk scene. Located away from most people’s blinkered radar systems, Finland’s prime exports include Formula 1 drivers and footballers but away from this you’d be hard pushed to name anyone else of any importance. If you are going to add anyone else to that list… make it Wasted.

Playing more old-fashioned punk than we tend to be introduced to nowadays, Wasted use fast-paced guitaring and vocals that rarely change pitch within each song, therefore ensuring punk compliance. Punk tradition is furthered in their lyrics. Speaking often of social problems such as homelessness, in Shopping Cart, and neglected children, in Suburban Kids, as well as describing the idiocies of war and idiosyncrasies of our political leaders, Here We Go Again is a testament to good judgement and righteous call for action.

Choosing English as their recorded language of choice, Wasted isolate themselves from the Finnish market but are subsequently embraced by the global market, whose trend it is towards a uniform and accessible global language. Even if this isn’t their native language it would appear that no intended meaning is lost in the lyrics which remain as important in punk as the music itself.

Not From Your World, if there can be one track that stands out on Here We Go Again, is exquisite in the music but the lyrics surpass even this: “Some try to find the truth in a syringe, a glasspipe or a bottle of booze. Some turn to god, religion, flag or the books of the hypocrites’ lies. It’s an escape, for no matter the cost. Sometimes the cost may be your life. The choice is yours, you’re paying the price.” When confronted with these thoughts and home truths it is hard not to fall in love with this group of punks.

Most tracks open with the ferocious Wasted guitaring and are supported by telling bass playing, especially in Braindamage and Shopping Cart. Listeners are refused the chance to draw breath inbetween songs with each one doing its very best to make its mark on the album. The guitaring is composed, it builds, it often resembles the song subject matter and boy does it rock.

The two live tracks included at the end of Here We Go Again suffer from probably having been recorded on someone’s Minidisc player but the general live environment is captured better this way and, after 27 pumping tracks, these round off the album without pretence, especially as Disconnected sizzles with grit and raw energy.

Wasted are the ultimate representation of traditional modern punks; surpassing much of what has been created in the past decade and running alongside UK band Sick On The Bus for inventiveness and imagination. Here We Go Again is the perfect introducer album: full of quality, dynamic tracks that symbolize punk at its very best.

Extras:

Two video tracks – In The Suburbs and The Corner are included on this CD. They can be played on your PC (not tested on Macs) and run smoothly. A nice addition which shows the band within some fairly good Finnish video editing.

Final Conclusion:

At £6 from the record company itself, as well as a few other shops (zshops on Amazon seem to offer it at this price too) you definitely can't complain. This is punk through and through and lacks no quality. Usually on record labels such as Boss Tuneage you find a few fairly good bands but Wasted, well established away from this label, are the cream of their releases so far. I was genuinely impressed by what I heard as it is not often that I ignore a band previously recommended to me by a friend and later go on to realise what a mistake it was. I was overjoyed at finally finding this band and was glad to have done so in this release which may even be surpassed by newer material. Top marks!!!

Tracks:

1. Bad Ones
2. Unnecessary
3. Weak Guy
4. Barbed Wire
5. No Reason
6. In God We Trust
7. Braindamage
8. As One
9. Battle Of Life
10. Catastrophe
11. Shopping Cart
12. Twisted Attitude
13. War Heroes
14. Suburban Kids
15. Nuisance For Society
16. Liberation
17. Missing In Action
18. White Trash Disease
19. Fight Back
20. Not From Your World
21. Terrorist (In A Socially Accepted Way)
22. Kick In The Head
23. Decayed
24. F.T.C
25. One Of Them
26. Open Door
27. Cheated & Misled
28. Barrel Of A Loaded Gun (Live)
29. Disconnected (Live)

Label: Boss Tuneage
Catalogue Number: BOSTAGE5132

Price:

http://www.bosstuneage.com - £6

 

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