I’m sure that many reviews of this gnarly, gnashing, and timely record will start with a warning or disclaimer about the language it uses to make its point. I would say that the language is exactly right. After all when we live in a world where the haves are, quite blatantly, squeezing every last penny out of the system at the expense of the have nots, where the innocents are sacrificed for oil and where every metric that humanity was once gauged by has now been exchanged for the cash till ring of hypocrisy, what’s wrong a bit of swearing? It certainly helps drive the point home.
“Born2graft” is the sound of Burton-On-Trent’s Mukka & the Wizard Sleeves kicking back against the prickly concepts of such widening divisions. Over a blend of punky-metal and incendiary walls of growling, grooving grunge, they deliver Rage Against The Machine style lyrical rap-sung salvos that advocate dropping out of the system. After all, if the game is rigged, and it blatantly is, then invent your own rules.
It’s a big song, one forged of slabs of guitar fury, bombastic, depth-charge bass, coiled riffs, and drum onslaughts. A slow but steady sonic battering ram designed to knock down the ivory towers of the establishment, disorientate the status quo, and upset the societal balance.
Now, you could argue that one band on its own isn’t going to make much difference. True, but as someone who writes about music every day, you would be surprised by the number of artists lending their songwriting and voices to the advocacy of change.
One song might make for an interesting voice in the crowd, but soon you realise that it is part of a chorus, that chorus becomes a scene, a scene becomes a community, a community a movement, and then…well, who knows. But it isn’t looking good for the powers that be.
