Band : The Real McKenzies
Album title : Off The Leach
Label : Fat Wreck Chords
Distributor : Sonic Rendezvous
Release date : 11/07/2008
Release : CD

Funny how life sometimes hangs together with coincidences (some will call it unavoidable fate). Only a couple of months ago, the chance occasion presented itself to me to buy this band's 2002 album Pissed Tae Th' Gills (Drunken Live Tribute To Robbie Burns) on vinyl (released in Europe through the German Social Bomb imprint). At only 10 euros, that was a steel, so I didn't hesitate to buy without even listening (in spite of the that posibility being available to me at the moment). Due to a far to busy life (both personal and professional, and let's not forget my work-load with Concrete Web on top) I've not even been able to listen to that album...and now, some months after, I have to review the band's latest album...which prompted me to go look up the band's history! What follows is a short overview. If you're not interested simply cut downpage, okey?

Vancouver, BC (Canada) based Celtic Punk Rock act The Real MacKenzies was originated in 1994 by frontman Paul McKenzie, who took musical influences from his family traditions, where his elders would make him sing and dance to traditional Scottish music dressed in a kilt during celabrations. As a sort of revenge on his parents, he decided to start a Punk Rock band with Scottish influences, performing in kilts. When asked how comes that such a troupe of musicians can survive in Canada, the frontman explains that when the Irish and Scotish came upon American shores, most of the Irish travelled South, while the Scottish went up North, thus upholding an ancient tradition (a joke, surely, but a good one). Therefore, there's a very strong contingency of people in Canada having Scotish origins indeed! The self-titled debut album came in  1995 through the Sudden Death imprint, immediately bringing the blend of Sex Pistols punk Rock enriched with bagpipes which would become so typical to the band! Actually, a lot of their songs are revived and punkified Scottish anthems. On the same label came sophomore album Clash Of The Tartans in 1998. The band then signed to the Honest Don's imprint for the 2001 and 2003 studio releases of Lock'd & Loaded and Oot & Aboot (in between the live Pissed Tae Th' Gills was released). The guys (current line-up alongside Paul including guitarists/ vocalists "Dirty" Kurt Robertson & Mark "Bone" Boland, plus additional guitarist Dave Gregg, bagpiper Matt MacNasty (real name Mathew James Hawley), bassist "Little" Joe Raposo, and drummer Sean Sellers) then signed to Fat Wreck Chords to release the 2005 album 10,000 Shots, which was the predecessor of Off The Leach. During their career, The Real McKenzies have toured extensively, at a certain moment even doing an 8-month, 23-country tour in a van! Tours during which they've shared the stages with the likes of Rancid, DragStrip Riot, NOFX, Flogging Molly, Rough Chukar, The Misfits, Metallica, Voodoo Glow Skulls and even Shane McGowan (source: Wikipedia). The band also have had songs of theirs used in beer commercials and video games (i.e. Tony Hawk Underground).

The new album adds 13 new songs to the band's already substancial catalogue, guest musicans for which include Bob Rivera (drums on two songs), violinist Magdalena Schmied, banjo player Clint "Westwood" Sobolik, guitarist Chris Rest, percussionist Chewy Marzolo, and backing singers Karina Denike, Spike Slawson (of Me First And The Gimme Gimmes and Swinging Utters), Tim Mehew, Mike McGuire & Kevin Clea. A rather big "family affair", eh? Standing out in the 13, is ballad "The Maple Trees Remember" and "Guy On Stage" (with Paul remeniscing on his life in music)...otherwize the mood is pretty much as described earlier. I'm sure the guys have a MySpace page where you could discover some of their songs, but regrettably I forgot to look it up (my only excuse being that I was short of time while looking up info for about 20 other bands as well, just prior of a short vacation).

As far as I'm concerned, The Real McKenzies have a place amongst the better (if not the bést) melodic Punk Rock acts in general and Fat Wrech Chords specifically, especially thanks to the Scotish flavour they achieve in bringing into their music...and they are therefore móre than deservant of an honorary title. As a direct result, I'm placing Off The Leach into that "Best Albums Of 2008"-list of mine!

98/100

Tony.