Band : The Real Danger
Album title : Making Enemies
Label : Shield Recordings
Distributor : Bertus
Release date : 25/03/2010
Release : CD

This Dutch Punk Rock band played their first show in July 2006, recorded a 4-track demo in September of the same year, and had the good luck to get noticed by Shield Recordings pretty soon. Luck, because things resulted in a recording deal, with the Fall 2007 released, 13-track self-titled debut album as a first result. Positive reviews increased the band’s gigging possibilities, and the guys (singer Michiel Walrave, guitarists Mark van der Male & Robin Hancock, bassist Jeroen Mol, and drummer Robert Buijsman) even got to play some cool support slots with the likes of Bouncing Sould, The Living End, The Loved Ones, and Strike Anywhere. The year was ended with a contribution of an exclusive song to the Angry Youth Records 7-inch EP compilation Glory Days, shared with Bratpack, Tenement Kids, and Union Town (with the latter they would frequently share stages later on).

During 2008 TRD continued to fortify their fanbase in their own country, also frequently playing in Belgium and Germany. Then, in early 2009, a first European tour (which saw the quintet visit Austria, Italy, Spain, and France) was coincided with the release of a limited edition 2-track 7-inch single. Later the same year the guys also started writing the necessary material for their 2nd full-length album, which they recorded (mostly themselves, getting help only for the drums) in January and February of 2010.

According to the bio we got with the promo copy of the album, TRD draws influences from the likes of “…Descendents, Face To Face, Green Day, and Bouncing Souls (to name but a few)…” (among the added acts on the band’s MySpace page, we find also Naked Raygun, Jeff Dahl, All, Government Issue, Screeching Weasel, and SNFU…all of which were bands into that very melodic but not-too-easy type of Pop Punk), but the band is not just a copy-cat, and their Melodic Pop Punk definitely shows a face of its own. Quite a bit goin’ on in the lead guitar department, which is just as well, because it prevents the music from being too slick! I’ll be honest with you: when I first listened to the 13-track album (one song a new version of the 7-inch track “Someday Soon”, another a cover of Superchunk’s “Skip Steps 1 & 3”) I wasn’t impressed too much with the overall melodic aspect of the band’s music…and it’s only after a second and third listening session that I got into the groove of this band. They kinda misled me at first, by keeping the underlaying “complexities” rather simple, but once I recognized that, I really got into the music! Yeah, definitely an act which will move the youngsters in live conditions.

If you’ve already seen the band on stage, you already know what to expect from the band. If they’re new to you, and Melodic Punk Rock is your thing, perhaps you should listen to the songs posted at myspace.com/therealdanger…or go to one of their shows. For dates, again, check the MySpace page or the band’s own website (www.) therealdanger.net.

80/100

Tony.