Make it or break it

Punk rock and Christianity. Can the two possibly go together, or is Christian punk simply an oxymoron? A group of three courageous young musicians are proving that the two can be compatible, and they are attracting a real storm of opposition on social media because of it.

I interviewed Peter 118 at Creation Fest and featured them in a post called Jesus was a punk. It went viral, and a storm kicked off on Facebook. Many it seems, were outraged by the groups stand for Christ, and their no-compromise attitude in the face of overwhelming online abuse and criticism.

But they still wanted to read more about this controversial trio.  Reading one particular Facebook thread about Peter 118 requires some fortitude because there is an angry, baying mob on there, and several of the comments come from those who patently aren't thinking too clearly about what they are typing.

Those posting to the discussion page seem polarised by the band. Some comments are vitriolic, ad hominem attacks and add nothing to the debate. One of the most intelligent comments came from a dyed-in-the-wool punk aficionado, who although an agnostic, actually praised Peter 118, pointing out that the ethos of punk is to be different, to go against the flow, and to be true to yourself. That is exactly what Peter 118 are doing, and some in the punk community ironically, can't stomach it.

Below is my review of a 2012 release by Peter 118 called Make It Or Break It on InPresence Records (and on ThumperPunk Records in the US). Peter 118 are in yer face on this mini album, and they aren't backing down for anyone. What strikes you as you listen to the album is that the band seem intent on taking you on a journey through all the sub-genres of punk, in seven short, simple and straight-to-the-point tracks.

The album opens with Don't Listen to a Word I Say which transported me right back to 1978 when punk was at its zenith (yes, I was there). It is rebelliously ironic in its message - pay no attention to this message.... but you're gonna listen anyway. The second track Radio, circles around on itself and even features an Oi Oi chant (anyone remember the Cockney Rejects?) Check it out below in the embedded video. It's a three chord wonder song with a strange mix of accoustic, rock and heavy wave sounds. Track three is Break Em Out, and is sung in a Mockney accent that tips a nod at John Lydon in his pomp. But Lydon would never have sung these lyrics, even in his best, wild eyed sarcastic mode: "Got my salvation, Jesus is my mate."



Track four, United We Stand, features a more sophisticated guitar riff and a more polished sound reminiscent of the Clash. It's as though Peter 118 are leading us on a history tour and the next stop is the post-punk era, and a trace of the Ramones influence can be detected in lead vocalist Peter's faux NY accent. Track five 21 Again takes us even further down the new wave track, with an ominous wall of sound from the dirty, driving guitars in the style of the Altar Boys.

The sixth track is We Don't Need It with its melodic opening and acoustic guitar accompaniment. It quickly takes off with some neat backing vocals from bassist Janine Read. Is Lou Reed in? The final track is Perfect King, and with more overdriven axe playing, nicely rounds of this mini album. The track is dominated by a relentless beat from drummer Simon Critchley, and some slightly down-tuned, grungy guitar work from Peter Field. The entire album is no more than 12 minutes in duration. So play it loud.

Creative Commons License
Make it or break it by Steve Wheeler was written in Plymouth, England and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Comments

Jeani Bond said…
Love this sound! First heard of this band on Rimmerama. Just watched the video then bought the LP on Bandcamp. 💥 Recommended.
24 September 2018 at 05:01
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