Style: oi, metal, skinhead
Label: The Firm Records, Skin Collector, KB Records, Tough Times Music (depending on region)
Year: 2018
Home: Prague, Czech Republic
Members: Tim Steinfort ~ guitar/vocals
Stöbi ~ drums/b. vocals
Rick Groenewegen ~ bass
Prague's Haymaker was formed in 2016 by Dutch singer/guitarist Tim Steinfort, also of the oi! band Discharger & the folk band Tim Steinfort & the First Time Offenders, to carry forth the skinhead banner to a new crowd. This is their first full length album, which I found on youtube. My first response is how much the music sounds like Motorhead. Over these ten songs the instruments growl & churn venomously pushing one's ears forward, while Tim also has Lemmy's throaty rasp. Haymaker - who promote themselves as "Skinhead Rock'n'roll Prague" & have the bald heads, fearless lyrics, & boots & braces to prove it - could find a second career as a Motorhead cover band. But, aside from who they sound like, there's a lot more here worth listening to. Skinhead music came out of & was reflective of the 1970's punk scene, but times have changed, & now the instruments are played far better, the musical textures are more interesting, while the music often is much more metal than punk. Its still as aggressive as ever, but has expanded its musical sights. Haymaker is a testament to how far the music has come from just being angry young man music with some churning guitars & screaming frontmen. A message is important (if the band is one that has a message they are looking to share, i.e. something other than boy meets girl lyrics), but so is the foundation on which the message is placed. I've encountered bands that have had their message not go far as the music wasn't appealing or well made. If your ears want the skinhead message, but also some great music, than Haymaker is a band I recommend checking out. It should be noted the album closes on an acoustic version of "Hold On To Your Dreams." One might find this shocking for such angry music, but the iconic Skrewdriver used to do acoustic shows. This just shows the range of Haymaker. Not just do they have interesting grooves, but are willing to do something really out of the metal box. Any mainstream metal band might do this, & thus a skinhead metal band shouldn't be an exception. I've been holding off talking about the message, which is the most important, & most controversial, part of any skinhead album. "No one likes us / we don't care" is an early line from the anthem-like "Underdogs", that opens the album with a call to arms. Haymaker are literal musical & cultural underdogs with the boots, braces, shaved heads, beer, hard partying & are ready to fight ... & just don't care what anyone thinks. If you are like them, join the team. The guitar & bass roll with a vengeance, as "underdogs will go to war / like nothing ever seen before." Its unabashed pride of identity that sets the mood for the album. We fight. We party. Now, be prepared. I bet these guys are great in concert. My only complaint with this album is sometimes the lyrics by so fast in his gruff voice that I couldn't get them all, & was unable to find the lyrics online. Though, it is all such a bulldozer of energy, so where deciphering was harder, the energy was hot as a torch & made up for it. What lyrics I did get, they range from narrative stories of running from the police (i.e. "Boys In Blue"), to comically being sadly too drunk to be in a fight but not realizing it ("Too Drunk To Fight"), to poseurs who dress like skinheads but don't understand the lifestyle ("Hang Up Your Boots"), to forgetting childhood dreams ("Hold On To Your Dreams"), to other songs that are just begging for a sing-a-long from those who identify with & defend the skinhead lifestyle ("Underdogs", "No Social Life", "Skinhead Rock 'N' Roll", "We Want To Apologize" with the great chorus "We want to apology to nobody / absolutely nobody / & if we do, we die"). "Only A Sinner Becomes A Winner", with its opening acoustic guitar deceptively feels like a pop song rolling out in the midst of a metal onslaught with its low key droning guitar melody, but might be a highlight of the
album due to its inspiring lyrics. "... You got shit / don't mean you
got to take it ... Sometimes you have to lie / because the truth is
disappointing / so you fake it. / What a man's got to do what a man's
got to do / are the words he's supposed to live / if he wants to make
it. ... It takes awhile to understand / the kindness of mankind / is
over-rated. ... We cross the line / so many times / as everybody knows /
only a sinner / becomes a winner." I love the 'you do it cause you
gotta do it, but don't let it get you down' spirit of the lyrics. This album is full of some great lyrics, but one needs special mention. Special as in I was listening to it on repeat, & even found an acoustic solo version by Tim which I was sharing on facebook. "Freedom" is haunting & dark as it sings about breaking from the routine of a 9 to 5 life to find that freedom that "people talk about", while the bass churns underneath in that Motorhead fashion. "Freedom" deserves extensive quoting, as I just love these words & the message. I'll let leave them here, letting you to interpret them how you wish. If you disagree with the message, the song is probably about you! "You have the choice to rent or buy / But they made the prices extremely high / So now you need to work 8 hours a day / To cover for the bills which you have to pay / ... Freedom is there for those who are rich / but if you're not you're society's bitch ... Some people put there trust & hope in politicians / Who hunger for power & look for recognition / Egos go high talents go low / It's time to face what we already know ... (chorus) The companies own your primary needs / If you lose your job you'll be out on the streets / People talking about freedom / People talking about bullshit they know nothing about."
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