Album Review: Not Your Kingdom by Madball
Album artwork for Not Your Kingdom by Madball
There are few bands still standing that embody what hardcore has always been about and Madball is one of them. NYHC living legends that have been a part of the history of hardcore almost from the very beginning. Now thirty eight years on Madball present to us their newest record. “Not Your Kingdom” promises to deliver everything there is to love about Madball and hardcore as a genre.
Freddy has said that while this record is as faithful to Madball as every other record, it has allowed the band to reinvent themselves without losing a bit of what they are. An impressive feat considering the band's long running career and lineup changes over that long time. Despite these obstacles, Madball does what they set out to do and remains loyal to the fundamentals that got them to this point.
If there were any naysayers to Madball they are quickly silenced with the opening tracks, Tethered, and, Flammable, which deliver explosive and energetic drums and guitars. These tracks could easily sit within the early discography of the band, showing that despite the time between their first record, the band still has what it takes to stand toe to toe with the energetic youths that they play to and for. The record keeps the pace going with their track What Say You which contains the line that became the albums namesake “You hold the keys but it’s Not Your Kingdom” a stab at the leaders of the world, who according to Freddy think they run the world when in reality there are larger figures pulling the strings behind the scene. The guitars on this track are as heavy as they have always been on Madball tracks. Unrelenting passages that convey the rage and disdain that has fuelled this band year after year, decade after decade. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who could say this track makes them feel nothing.
The fury continues with Family First which opens with a classic build up of drums and guitar, building the riff into a full passage until it quickly changes into the fast paced side to side parts that Madball are known for. It's truly a testament to the band that they can continue to write such unbelievably fun parts to listen to that barely need a first listen to know that being performed live will go down a treat. Whether at the many fests that Madball play or the tours they still pour all their energy into. The track feeds back into the incredible Clockwork which features fellow NYHC legends Killing Time, which is signposted in some of Freddy’s lyrics before Anthony Comunale steps in with his feature. The track delivers all that is needed from a Madball x Killing Time collaboration that leaves us wanting more, of which Madball are more than happy to supply.
The album closes on The Ride, and, Chase a Dream, the former a love letter to New York where the band lay down thrumming rhythms and sing along choruses that you can imagine a room piling on the stage to sing with the band. The bridge features Freddy singing “I heard them say: only the good ones die young, only the best ones die young” alluding to the fact that some might think that it's time for the band to hang things up and let hardcore remain a young man's game. But if this record says anything, it's that Madball is here to stay, if they haven’t been stopped in 38 years what hope do the haters have?
The closing track, Chase a Dream delivers as much energy as the starting tracks, snare rolls controlling the flow of the melodies demanding everyone playing and listening to give the song your full attention and energy. The song allows a brief respite before the outro crescendos with the closing lyrics nailing the mark as ever “Chase the dream as bleak as it may seem, don’t ever let them tear you down”. A statement that feels integral to the band, which has weathered decades of hard touring, the weight of the world becoming bleaker and the pressures that all musicians face - the cost that it takes on the individual to be a creative in a world that does not reward creatives enough but declares them as a keystone to society.
Unfortunately, there are parts of the record that miss the mark, most notably in the fourth track, Rebel Kids which plays more like a dad rock anthem in a 90s/00s action movie montage. This track feels like a particular disappointment as Freddy’s lyrics are as poignant as ever pointing out the hypocrisy of people who try to enter spaces like the hardcore scene for aesthetic and social gain. A phenomenon that has been present in every scene since their inception but disdain has never faltered. Fortunately the band provides a sonic palette cleanser immediately with Don’t MisStep, a track that gives the listener plenty of opportunities to two step and move side to side in true hardcore fashion.
This criticism applies to the song Life's a Mural, where a song that has incredibly important things to say lyrically but is let down by song writing that feels less like hardcore and more like a failing local punk band. The silver lining for any track that might miss the mark on this record is that they are like the great songs, over before you know it. The record has two and a half interlude tracks, which feel unneeded and serve more as padding to a record that doesn’t need it in the slightest. The half interlude, IWI, while good, is so short that you will miss it if you aren’t paying attention.
Overall the production on this record is incredible and the work that Andrew Baylis did with the band to create the guitar tones, drum sound and vocal performances elevate these already good songs to a higher level, and for life long fans of Madball they will enjoy this record just as much as any other record they have put out. “Not Your Kingdom” can easily become one of the more notable Madball releases for those who don’t fall into the trap of saying a band's first records are their best work, and a record that could be shown to a new jack to show them just what hardcore has to offer them.
FFO: Terror, Lionheart, Agnostic Front
SCORE: 6/10
Not Your Kingdom is out now on all streaming platforms, released via Nuclear Blast Records
