“Warriors” / “Youth” (No Future Oi 16) August 1982
Blitz | Warriors | (No Future) 1982 | The massive irony about crunching, blistering ‘Warriors’ is that words are at best to be totally dismissed, at worst to be regarded with suspicion.
Whereas the sparkling Grandmaster Flash 12″ of ‘The Message’ (worth every penny of the 375p you’ll have to pay on import but due for a UK release in a week or so) deals with urban deprivation, street violence and inner city tension with wit, optimism and style all tempered by a crashing realism.
Blitz are dangerously close to the romanticising the mindless violence that the Newtown Neurotics sing out against.
‘Warriors’ from the title onwards, retains a sense of pride but mostly through mutual fear and mob rule terror.
Opening with a subdued bass burble and slashing hi-hat swish, the song explodes into life with a screeching guitar howl and vocal roar of almost frightening determination; the cry of revolt of a new youth.
Blitz | Warriors | (No Future) 1982
There’s no way this record can be realistically dismissed as retrogressive or out-of-date, there’s no time limit on youth, on fury, on passionate outrageous protest.
While lyrics such as: “Our mates are diamond and we shine like steel / You can’t beat us down cause the wounds will neve heal / You can’t take us for a ride / You can’t rob a warrior of his pride.” won’t challenge more established wordsmiths like Costello, the sheer sense of primitive pride and undiminished determination is carried by the awesome steam-roller loud uncompromising PUNK music.
And the B-side ‘Youth’ is almost as fierce! No love to be won here, either. (Sounds, 14/08/82)
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