Labels: Not Shy of the DIY
Review by: Samuel Fowler
Being old and sulky before your time is a great state of mind. This
album is especially exciting, as I remember Lead the Way from back
when music was good (c). In fact I’m quite sure I might even have
written a review when they were supposed to release an album on Random
Damage Records in two-thousand-and-a-hell-of-a-long-time-ago. The
world moves in circles.
What to say about Lead the Way? If you like the idea of a band ripping
a huuuge chunk right out of Avail, then defiantly running snarlingly
around clasping it aloft, then this should stamp a good sized smirk
across your face. No gruff, no beards, no flannel shirts, just honest
fast melodic punk with just the sort of lyrical matter you wanna hear
from this sort of thing, all bosses and rulers with money and power
corrupting everything. Sure, Lead the way aren’t stepping into
uncharted waters, but they’re sailing with a following wind, and
they have got the cannons down, hinder their progress at your peril…
12 tracks, they stay relentless, never get old, and keep enough
variance to make this worth repeated spins for sure. Listen to
something like “Hiding Behind the Flag” near to the tail end of the
album to pluck an example at random. Sounds like Hi Standard for craps
sake! When was the last time a band tried that? Too long I wager.
Loving the descent into chants near the end, pure 1996. XL Good
Riddance shirt, twist your cap backward, strongbow in the back pocket,
where the fucks my board? Skate and destroy!