D Generation “Nothing Is Anywhere”

We really shouldn’t need to provide any intro for this band, for fans of modern punk rock they’re legends. They pretty much epitomise the cool New York punk band, with a sense of style which is matched by substance. The band had split up some years ago, but got back together for some brilliant and inspiring live shows. Thankfully, they have now followed those gigs up with this album, their first album for seventeen years, boy that makes us feel old!

Once opener, “Queens Of A”, kicks in, it’s like they’ve never been away. Just like the reunion gigs, it’s a shouty, punk mess, with an anarchic appeal. Where D Generation have always excelled, is delivering punk rock tunes with equal measures of passion and melody. There’s certainly no shortage of those on this album, with “Lonely Ones” being a key example of a song that you can easily either sing or mosh along to.

They’ve also not lost their sense of fun, and on tracks like “Apocalypse Kids” and “Dance Hall Daze” you kind of sense that they had almost as much fun recording them as we have listening to them. Most importantly, this is not a band just trying to relive past glories and re hash old songs. There are songs on this album that can stand proudly against their older classic tracks. “Rich Kids” takes Jesse Malin’s solo sound and gives it a little extra adrenaline. “Don’t Believe” and “Piece Of The Action” have darker tones which will see you searching out late night, dirty, rock n roll dive bars.

It may come as a bit of a shock on first listen but there are even a couple of more ‘mature’ songs on this album. On “Hatful of Rain” and the last song “Tomorrow”, you get the sense that the band realise that they don’t have to shout and have screaming guitars to demonstrate their punk credentials. Instead, there is a restrained anger about them, although they are still backed by some dirty, punk guitar licks!

Don’t panic though, they haven’t gone all clean cut on us. “Mercy Of The Rain” and “Not Goin’ Back” have a sleazy feel to them and show the band are easily able to remember hanging out in the gutter. They’re the kind of darker, punk n roll songs that are born and bred in the clubs of N.Y.C. Meanwhile, “21st Century Blues” shows they’ve definitely not lost any of their swagger and “Militant” is one of the hardest and aggressive songs that they have done.

Let’s face it, neither D Generation or us are the young, snotty faced punks we were when they first hit the scene. We’ve matured (slightly at least!) and so has their sound. That’s not to say that they’ve gone all boring or grown up though! They’re still playing punk rock with an undeterred sense of commitment and passion. Their songs are just as likely to make you think, drink or fight dependent on your mood and company.

D Generation first appeared in a music industry full of scenesters, either late to the party glam rockers or desperate band wagon jumping grunge bands. At that time, they were ‘the real deal’ and this album just shows that they still are and always will be.