I last reviewed The Kirkz in 2004 and described them as “tighter than Jessica Simpson pre-Wedding night”. How metaphors change, huh? Anyway, these Macclesfield punks have been going for 12 years now, although this is only their second album. They’ve been picked up by TNS Records and this Rancid/Anti Flag esque record is reasonably good for what it is. It won’t tear up trees, it probably won’t get them a stack of tour supports, but it’s aggressive and fun and melodic and a bit of a throwback to when bands sounded a bit rowdier and dirtier. ‘The Revenge’ sums up the band quite nicely with some scuzzy guitar riffs and lots of bass. My only complaint is that it starts to sound a bit samey after a few listens, but as most of the tracks are sub 2-minutes it never really outstays the welcome. The Kirkz are the type of band that are or were never in fashion and that suits them quite nicely. A good record, not a great one.
