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It’s a rare musician who can lay claim to an unblemished, four-decade-spanning discography, but if anyone can, it’s Portland, OR’s reluctant King Of Punk: ladies, gentleman and gender non-conformists…. you know him. you love him, Mr. JERRY A. LANG.
From his tenure with pioneering Hardcore Punk legends POISON IDEA, to his many side projects and collaborative efforts, JERRY A. has forged an enviable and impressive legacy, and decades after so many of his contemporaries have come and gone, he’s nowhere near to being finished…. And with this in mind, please allow us to introduce…
JERRY A & the KINGS OF OBLIVION.
Formed in the wake his 2021 collaboration with Dutch Street Rock'n'Rollers (and fellow TKO alums) SAVAGE BEAT, the KINGS OF OBLIVION reunites Mr. LANG with the SB boys to bring us this new offering, Life After Hate.
This burner of a mini-LP is a love letter to the 70s Punk and Proto-Punk influences that have underlined all of Jerry’s musical efforts to one degree or another. Consisting of two originals and four covers of varying obscurity, Life After Hate sees the SAVAGE BEAT boys laying down a pitch-perfect barrage of Punk Rock ‘n’ Roll that perfectly suits Jerry’s singular vocal delivery.
The two original tracks—“Life After Hate” and “Pink Clouds”—are worthy entries to the Jerry A. canon, both falling on the more contemplative end of the lyrical spectrum without sacrificing any of Jerry’s signature bite. These songs are right at home with the covers that make up the majority of the release, with blazing harmonized guitars and a “Hard Glam” stomp that serves as an impressive homage to style and era they were inspired by.
Where the covers are concerned, no obvious choices are included. Renditions of songs originally performed by the BLITZZ, PINK FAIRIES, the SHITDOGS, and BONNIE ST. CLAIRE & UNIT GLORIA are all delivered with a style and energy that serves as both a mission statement for the KINGS and an opportunity to elevate the material that inspired this project.
While past efforts have hinted at this style, Life After Hate feels like a long overdue piece of the JERRY A. musical puzzle. This time there’s no clever nod or a vague reference; this recording is an out and out tribute to JERRY and SAVAGE BEAT's love of the forgotten gems from the formative years of Punk music, and this is Life After Hate’s greatest strength. JERRY A & the KINGS OF OBLIVION is not just cause for celebration for the completist fans out there. This is an affectionately crafted crash course in some of the music that influenced one of Hardcore Punk’s most enduring talents.
- Label: TKO Records
- Format Type: 12"
- Media Condition: Mint (M)
- Sleeve Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)
- Genre: hardcore
- Genre Style: hardcore
- Year: 2023