Damn, I was curious to hear this one! Strongarm and the bullies really surprised me with their version of Johnny Cash's 'Don't take your guns to town' on 'the international underground tribute to the man in black'.

This band sounded brutal and melodic and had a cool thing to 'em.

This is Strongarm's first full-length entitled 'You had it coming' and it's out now through Rebellion records.

First up, the good news:

This band sounds original, Erick has one of the strangest voices I’ve ever heard in punkrock and that’s an unbelievable tool for a band. Influences that come to mind whilst listening to ‘you had it coming’ are The Beltones, Bonecrusher, Rose Tattoo, AC/DC, a couple of hundred old-school oi bands and a huge seventies rock guitar sound (the solo’s…). Again…there’s no other band like Strongarm and the bullies out there and I’m a big fan of streetpunk acts that sound original in their scene. Songs like ‘Honor among outcasts’, ‘stand up’, Gone’ and ‘Down’ are awesome, hey, and talking about that seventies rock sound, listen to ‘That kind of courage’ and you’ll know what I mean.

Next, negative points for: The production, hmm..doesn’t really have to be that negative though, I know a lot of bands want to keep that simple sound and are aiming for this in the studio.

I’m having serious problems with some of their breaks in the songs…an example.. in ‘A toast’: the ‘oh yeah, oh yeah’s’…that keep returning sound really childish and it just brings down the whole song .

Conclusion: I’m a bit disappointed, but maybe that’s only me (probably will be…). I know lot’s of people are gonna love this and who cares about just one opinion, right?

I think Strongarm and the bullies’ next album is gonna be thé bomb.

Score: 60/100