***Consumption is key. War crimes in real time an arms length away, mandatory connectivity to hive mind. The common human experience is experiencing the shift. The 1000 Yard Stare is common place, no longer experienced only by soldiers and victims at the front. The front is everywhere. Colonial legacies, genocide, poisoned drug supplies and failed policy, killer cops, global warming, Neo-Liberal fallout, rising Fascism. The Information Age in its current state is one that sees the mask of the emperor starting to slip, a power struggle with the worst players moving into prime positions for takeover and identity politics running the resistance while the working class is dismantled in front of us. The only thing to keep us satiated in an age of endless trauma experience is immediate gratification. The absurdity of all of this that we live, love, buy and die within that framework. It's cynical but it's true. So here we are. Bootlicker's newest album, 1000 Yard Stare is 10 tracks of violent music for a vile world. Musically, this sees the group sticking to their UK82 meets American Hardcore with the echoes of Discharge guiding the hand. Skeptix, Special Duties, Svart Framtid are the seasoning. D-Beat propulsion and the knobs broken off at 11. No Export to UK/EU.
LP $24.35
05/17/2024
***Compiling all EPs by Bootlicker, Lick The Boot, Lose Your Teeth presents 24 tracks originally released over four 7"s dating back to 2017. From the earliest incarnation of the band and the start of their signature production and sound to where they are now. With the overblown martial drumming, completely pinned clean guitar attack, Bootlicker has been a fresh take on D-Beat tradition with a handful of Oi/UK82 and American Hardcore influence on the side. Each 7" is compiled here and represents a different phase of the band. The completely broken speaker aggression of "Who Do You Serve", the slight Rock 'n' Roll influenced "Nuclear Family" and bare bones approach of the "Six Track E.P." all paved the way to a more realized sound in "How To Live Life". Instead of tracking down each out of print, individual E.P. Here they are for the taking. Neon Taste Records in North America. Static Shock Records in Europe.
LP $25.50
07/14/2023
***It's 2021 and Vancouver’s Bootlicker are back with their first full length. Experimenting with various lineups and sounds since 2017, these 14 original tracks flesh out their most realized expression. Following four EP’s and two demos, their self-titled debut stays true to the noise cultivated in the previous offerings. That raw, blown-out production countered with clean guitar sound and Internationally-informed take on a UK82 delivery remains. Everything that made the band what they were on their previous output is polished into a ball of fire that will not be contained. Their mid-tempo, menacing posture of tracks like "Herd The Sheep" and "State Of Fever" give way to the D-beat totality of "Master" or "Two Faced" proving there are still ideas in the tank. There won’t be much left but scorched earth by the time it comes to rest. FFO: Mau Maus, Discharge, SSD.
LP $22.25
07/14/2023