Reviews

The Briggs have been putting out this type of record since their debut. For most other bands, that'd be a death sentence. Not for these guys. The Briggs can churn out album after album of working class street punk that takes you back to the glory days of Oi and the nostalgia trip has yet to get old. Two tracks in and they're already paying homage to Cock Sparrer in "This is L.A.," a track that's a few lyrics shy of a cover of "We're Coming Back."

For a lot of bands, putting out record after record of old school punk rock that's been done over and over again would get stale. The Briggs manage to keep it fresh mostly off of their energy and the fact that almost no one else is playing this type of punk rock anymore. No one of real note anyway.

Praise for the band itself aside, this does feel like one of their weaker records because of, oddly enough, too much experimentation with their tried and true formula. The band dips into some other subgenres of punk and it just doesn't seem to work for them. "Charge Into The Sun," for example sounds very Bad Religion-esque. "Not Alone," sees the band trying their hand at some Searching for a Former Clarity-era Against Me type sounds. Not that this experimentation is a bad thing - it definitely keeps the record from getting stale - but experimentation isn't what The Briggs are about. These guys are at their best when they're paying tribute to the English Oi bands of the eighties and that's why we love them; even their new songs are like a nostalgia trip.

Come All You Madmen is a good record by a good band, but it's not their best. This is definitely a good jumping on point if you've never heard The Briggs before, but there's enough material to keep old fans and newcomers amused for at least a few spins.