Baraka Face Junta Do Piekła LP
Before I dived into this new album from BARAKA FACE JUNTA, I had not realized the band formed as early as 2009 and that Do Piekła is their fifth full-length. Doesn’t time fly and hair recede? Now that’s dedication for you. If you are not familiar with them, BARAKA FACE JUNTA is from Kołobrzeg in the north of Poland, and originally emerged from the excellent STRACONY, a crucial anarcho-punk band active in the ’90s and the early ’00s. Since their inception, the band steadily progressed and kept building on a tuneful, passionate punk style that manages to sound fresh and original. They have substance. CHUMBAWAMBA is an obvious influence, as is CRASS, and the EX at times too, and I think equally inventive but harder-hitting bands like ARMIA or WŁOCHATY should get invites as well. The incorporation of a saxophone (normally a “forbidden instrument” because of its ties with—gasp—ska) clearly highlights the band’s drive to create something different and shape an atmosphere of lunacy. The undeniable energy relies heavily on the brilliant musicianship, the martial/tribal drumming, the groovy bass lines, and the guitar’s sharp dissonant leads. BARAKA FACE JUNTA is not, however, an experimental band; they are firmly rooted in the dynamic Polish tradition of strong female-fronted punk bands. If this lot were from New York or London, they would get a lot more attention. Anarcho-punk fans should take notes if they haven’t already.