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Strong Arm Of The Law" is a seven track CD by The Sentence. Five lads hailing from Lancashire. Before lockdown these guys were quite busy gigging but like a lot of bands, they are now resigned to rehearsal rooms only. After a brief chat with Watty (vocals) about a future interview for Last Stop Sounds, he kindly sent me a copy of this disc to review (I had one somewhere but I'm old... and I've misplaced it haha)... moving on.
'Dysfunctional Family' starts the album, something that a few people could possibly relate to. Immediate reaction is how they remind me of the legendary Cock Sparrer. Catchy sing-a-long chorus riff. Mid paced (as seems to be the theme of the entire CD). Ged on drums keep the timing exemplary and drives it as it motors along, never threatening to lose control. A few nice little guitar riffs thrown in for good measure.
The wonderfully titled 'Bullshit Boys’ is next. Without a copy of the lyrics in front of me, I am able to pick up that this about our wonderful (non) lying politicians!! Spike's bass this time intro's the song before he is joined by the ensemble. The song continues in the same vein as the opener, mid paced and catchy. Watty's vocals spit out the lyrics as the band continue their rant about lying politicians.
Track three is 'Tears Of Joy'. Everyone straight in before the guitars chug away under the vocals. This appears to be a trip down memory lane, talking about the past. 'How the time has past us by' being a line from the song. As with the previous two tracks, the band persist in their steady pacing, no sign of speeding up.
'More War’ follows. What appears to be Thatcher's voice opens up this slightly more up-beat number. The pace has quickened slightly and the chorus in particular is very very catchy indeed. I realised I've used the word 'catchy' quite a lot already but it best describes the sound of this band. The buzz like guitars fill out the song as the bass and drums have up-tempo'ed! Watty continues his venomous vocals.
Track number five is 'Asylum'. Slightly slower than its predecessors, this number is tuneful. The guitars almost sway in the verse pattern. A nice little riff after the chorus before the verse continues again. The two guitars working in perfect unison. It's obvious these guys are well rehearsed and have taken the time to think out these songs thoroughly.
The next track is'Running Away From Police' This is the song I remember most from The Sentence when we gigged with them what seems like many eons ago. Guitar intro before a crack on the snare brings the band in. I imagine this is one song that would get the punters pumping their fists in the air when the chorus kicks in. Slightly more up-tempo and I think it's fair to say what the subject matter is! 'You're nicked sonny’!
Then we arrive at the final track '21st Century'. No-nonsense, straight in to the song. Again more nice little guitar riffs interspersed in the mix. The solid drumming continues, almost machine gunesque. Watty's vocals continue to spit, Steve and Andy continue to drive their guitars in sync with Spikes solid bass work.
If you love your mid-paced, sing-a-long punk then these guys are for you. They could quite easily have fitted in perfectly with the early 90's Skinhead/Oi scene along with bands like The Business, Red Alert, 4 Skins, Crux etc. A good band to see live (When we finally get out of this Pandemic). The CD is definitely worth a listen!
Words: DLW, Photos: Will Binks Photography, The Sentence Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwestpunkband/
Bandcamp (Album): https://thesentence1.bandcamp.com/releases