In the area of punk rock, few artists have accomplished as much as Lars Frederiksen.
Primarily known as the guitarist for punk superstars Rancid, Frederiksen has also played in / currently plays with Lars Frederiksen And The Bastards, The Old Firm Casuals, Oxley’s Midnight Runners, Stomper 98, and Tim Timebomb And Friends. Additionally, he’s produced records by Dropkick Murphys, Agnostic Front and Swingin’ Utters, among many others.
What he hasn’t done, until now that is, is released a solo album.
“Gods And Guns,” a tune he originally did with The Old Firm Casuals, is reworked here with acoustic guitar; Frederiksen’s signature rasp suits the subtle keys and grittiness, as it does on the biting and raw “Army Of Zombies,” which was initially done with The Bastards.
In the middle, “Tomorrow’s Girl,” by the legendary U.K. Subs, pairs Frederiksen’s throaty pipes with crunchy guitar in the anthemic setting, while “Motherland,” the second Old Firm Casuals tune present, illustrates just how well Frederiksen can actually sing (and his warm guitar playing is nothing to spit at, either).
The final two tracks don’t disappoint, with Frederiksen interpreting “Comin’ Home,” a KISS song, with some folksy strumming that comes with well-timed keys and a bit of a snarl, and “Skunx,” one of his signature songs with The Bastards, again proves just how impactful Frederiksen can be in calmer areas of song craft.
The six tracks here are quite personal for Frederiksen, and he offers detailed explanations in the packaging. They’re also among his best to date, and for those who have gravitated towards punk rock luminaries like Chuck Ragan, Tim Barry and Brian Fallon’s solo work, this will definitely strike a chord, especially if the name Billy Bragg should mean anything to you.
