NEW LP
Common People Records
A amazing debut from this new Oi! band straight out of the Dungeons from Scotland (halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh). Arek, Mito, Samu and Pawel formed The Clench in late 2021 and recorded this 6-track Mini-LP in early 2023 at Gracenote Studios (Durfemline, Scotland). The band is formed by European immigrants, Arek is Polish and has sung in bands like Last Stand (SCO) and Static Shock (SCO). For his part, Mito is Galician by birth and has played guitar in Galician bands like Skulldog and Fred And The Perrys, just to name a few bands...
The Clench sing in English, sound hard and forceful, but without losing a bit of melody thanks to Mitos experience of almost two decades of playing the guitar in several bands and it shows on each of the songs that make up the album. Pawel's fine bass lines, Samu's perfectly executed drums, as well as Arek's raw vocals, blend perfectly, leaving you at the end of the album wanting at least one more songs.
The album starts with "Wage Slavery" (Who's gonna tell us the truth?) reminiscent of Condemned 84's "No One Like us" and ends with "Our Life", perhaps the best track on the album, which has a German Oxymoron feel to it. The Clench's sound reminds me of a mix between the Americans Legion 76, The Prowlers and maybe something from the early years of the Scots On File and Bakers Dozen.