Superyob - Aggrophobia (Rock'N'Roll Disgrace)

Originally released as a CD in 1996 on quasi-RAC British label, Hammer Records, and long out-of-print, this bit of classic ’90s Oi! gets its first official US vinyl release via Massachusetts’ R’N‘R Disgrace. To answer the obvious questions, drummer Pat Townsend formed Hammer Records and was a major songwriter/multi-instrumentalist for an RAC-associated band called Straw Dogs but, aside from some good old-fashioned English nationalism, Superyob avoid the blatant political posturing of your typical RAC band and the lyrics are more street/working-class than National Socialist. Though, as I’ve said before, I’m here to review the music, not the politics.

So, listening to Aggrophobia, I’m really reminded of three bands – The Cockney Rejects, UK Subs and, believe it or not, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. Other influences, like The Jam, Slade and the inevitable Cock Sparrer come out as well though, perhaps due to the frantic rock’n‘roll piano of vocalist Frankie Flame, Superyob can’t be easily pigeon-holed as your typical Oi! band. These are really strong songs with socially conscious lyrics that actually seem to eschew RAC ideology in favor of a more worldly view. As the liner notes state, “Super Yob (sic) believe in a return to the days of mods, skins and spikey punks, days when kids had something to belong to, and followed bands that were more like what they were.”

If you like your punk rock to sound like it came out of England circa 1979, then this is for you. It’s not hardcore or the peacock posturing of mohawks and liberty spikes, just good plain rock’n‘roll. And I like it.