Germany’s Plizzken’s first album …And Their Paradise Is Full Of Snakes is still on regular rotation for me, so this sophomore album is something I’ve been waiting to hear, though that almost didn’t happen.
Despite a workplace accident that frontman Sebi Walkenhorst suffered, the band brings us 13 new tunes packed with plenty of working class, street punk energy, and that’s immediately evident via the pounding drums and searing guitars of the opening track, “On The Hunt.”
Although the first tune alone is worth the price of admission, “One More Time” follows and isn’t anything to spit at thanks to the bright melodies and tuneful gang vocals that instantly invite a sing-along.
Further along into the first side, the thicker presence of “Nassau Nightlife” is both hard hitting and harmonic, while the anthemic and charged, timeless punk rock of “Mad World” is packed with rock n’ roll inspired solos, too.
The back side is full of greatness as well, including the buzzing guitars and gritty singing of “Life Won’t Wait,” and the warm acoustic guitar of “Enough Is Enough,” which builds into a tune that lands somewhere between the pit and the dance floor.
Residing near the end, the radiant guitar of the title track has some of the best singing present, and “Me And My Friends” exits with plenty of swirling melodica that’s surrounded by controlled fury thanks to the roaring rhythm section.
Walkenhorst’s recovery following his accident has been so remarkable that he also put out a record with his other band, Stomper 98, recently. Plizzken, so far anyway, can do no wrong and if bands like Rancid, The Bouncing Souls, Bishops Green or The Oppressed mean anything to you, Do You Really Wanna Know? will mean just as much, if not more.
