Broken Heroes/The Weekend Warriors

Beer Gut and Drunk Sluts (Street Anthem)
by Duke Crevanator

I was attracted to this split CD by the title alone. I mean, I have a beer gut, and I love drunk sluts, so how can it go wrong?

This is the first release by New Jersey Oi! masters Broken Heroes since ’99, which is surprising, considering how good they are. Normally, Oi! music is pretty hit or miss with me, usually miss because there aren’t many bands that do it right. Broken Heroes do it right and then some. They even do an exceptional cover of “Someone’s Gonna Die Tonight.” It probably helped that I was watching a Soccer Fights DVD while listening to this record, but actually, isn’t that a perfect test for Oi!? If it can brutally enhance watching hundreds of drunken people beat the crap out of each other, it’s gotta be good, right?

Weekend Warriors are the younger of the two bands, from Pittsburgh, PA. There are few cities in the USA more befitting to hail from if you’re in an Oi! band. These guys have a dirtier sound than Broken Heroes, showing their steel city roots. It’s almost more hardcore than Oi! (with the exception of the song “My Own Change of Pace,” which is, well, kinda poppy rock ‘n’ roll in their own way, but still good). In fact, if they didn’t have the classic sing-along choruses, I’d almost say it was hardcore. Either way, their mix of styles works well.

All in all, a pretty damn good Oi! split. If you need an adrenaline rush before going to the bar, put this on, drink heavily, and you’ll be fully prepared to bash some douchbag frat boy’s head in before the night is through.
(6201 15th Ave. NW #B306 Seattle, WA 98107)