Topper - Once A Punk, Always A Punk
Wild Kingdom Records - KING026 - 2006
By George Grant
When one thinks of Scandinavian punk, crust is usually the preferred style. However, for Sweden’s
Topper this is not the case. This foursome looks towards a much earlier inspiration in the form of the British Oi movement that surged in the late 70s.
Once A Punk, Always A Punk offers a very modern take on the raw and working class style perfected in the early years by such bands as
Sham 69 and
The Cockney Rejects. It should come as no surprise then that
Topper shares many blatant similarities with the mentioned bands, especially within the vocal category. For those unfamiliar with the style, expect to hear a fairly mid paced style of three chord punk with a plethora of sing-a-long choruses and enough melodic hooks to please pop music fans. Although this is not the most challenging style of music to play,
Topper (assisted by the clean production) delivers a solid performance on the CD.
Given the nature of the music it’s hard for certain tracks to stand above the others, except for the sixth track
‘White Shiny Missiles.’ Out of nowhere, in the middle of the album,
Topper changes directions and delivers a reggae-inspired song much like the ones found on the debut
Bad Brains album. This certainly caught me off guard and impressed me with the quality of the track. Also, this diversion has no adverse effect on the flow of the album, if anything it gives a much needed break from the rather uniform compositions.
For those unfamiliar with the punk scene and looking to get into the genre this may not be the album for you. It would be much wiser to start with the bands that served as an inspiration to
Topper and really kick started this subculture.
Once a Punk, Always A Punk, while a solid album, offers nothing new or interesting to the table and is nothing more than an album for casual listening or background music.
Official Topper Website
Official Topper Myspace Page
Official Wild Kingdom Records Website
