Remdik – Remdik
(161 Strikes Records)
Cassette | DL
Out now
This medieval weapon themed Slovakian Oi album hits out for the rights of Roma and against fascists with an amalgam of brutal Oi and thumping hardcore says Nathan Brown.
When I heard the rumblings of a new Balkan anti-fascist record label putting out predominantly Oi! style music I thought people need to know. The precise location and origins of 161 Strikes Records are mysterious but their first release is Remdik’s self titled album.
Remdik is a Slovakian name for a morning star or mace (pictured on the cover). Now this immediately puts me in mind of Johnny Moped’s introduction to Hard Loving Man on the Live At The Roxy album which is no bad place to start. “Maces are basically iron balls with chains with spikes on it”.
Anyway, enough of 1977. Back to 2023. The album kicks off with medieval bugles before a resounding clang of guitar and thundering drums. Then the heavy chug of the guitar and bass kicks in. Remdik have as much Sick Of It All as Blitz, Attack and other gruff heavy Oi bands in their DNA. Something about the rawness reminds me of early US HC bands and 1980s Finnish punk. The overdriven sound is similar to Bootlicker’s debut 7″ and is delivered at a similar pace, but this has clearer production.
Powerful steady drums sound like they are being pounded by a giant and with the bass create a tasty bottom end thud. The raw guitar is standard bar chord matching the bass notes with the odd basic single string or discordant whining solo which adds to the bluntness. The vocals are raw and shouted but this it Oi, right, so what you expecting? There is a dose of hardcore and as Oi is trending with the hardcore yoof this will probably go down as well with the younger crowd as the old punks’n’skins. If for no other reason, track this down so you can impress your mates with knowing about a Balkan Oi band long before they heard of them.
Lyrically this is a mix of standard aggravating fare with an anti-fascist bent and some unique qualities. For starters, how many Oi bands sing up about, and condemn, the way Roma people are treated? Remdik do. Some of the band members are from the Roma community themselves. And then there is the title track, as the band are at pains to point out, Remdik is not just the name of a medieval weapon. Oh no. “Remdik is a special unit that wants to bring back to the scene what has long been extinct: pride, strength, discipline and all the skinhead virtues!” The song is about getting out on the streets and fighting fascists. They also name check Oi Polloi which is bound to win them plenty of friends.
Then there is the cover art. A skinhead riding a horse while flailing a mace around. And if that wasn’t enough, the label are donating all of their profits from this release to E-Romnja- a Roma feminist and non-profit organization fighting for the rights of Roma women and girls. What a debut release from a label I hope to hear more from.
Limited to 100 copies on cassette or you can download from bandcamp.
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Words by Nathan Brown. His Louder Than War author archive can be found here.
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