Artist: Dead Boys Album: We Have Come for Your Children

Year: 1978
Duration: 0:0-1

A Critical Look at Dead Boys' We Have Come for Your Children Album

Dead Boys is a punk rock band that had a short-lived career in the late 70s, but their impact in the punk scene was undeniable. Their second album, We Have Come for Your Children, was released in 1978, and it showcased their raw, unapologetic and energetic sound. In this blog post, we'll dive into their album and give a critical review on it.

Before we delve into the music, let's give a brief history of Dead Boys. The band was formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1976 by vocalist Stiv Bators, guitarist Cheetah Chrome, and drummer Johnny Blitz. They later recruited bassist Jeff Magnum and guitarist Jimmy Zero. The band's sound was heavily influenced by the New York punk scene, and they quickly gained a following with their intense live performances.

We Have Come for Your Children is a punk rock album that has a mix of classic punk sounds and harder edge rock. The songs are angry, blunt, rebellious, and it showcases their nihilistic attitude. The album opens up with 3rd Generation Nation setting the tone for the record and the album is consistently stripped down with tracks like I Don't Wanna Be No Catholic Boy, Son of Sam, and Flame Thrower Love. The lyrics are straight-to-the-point and speak about social issues, isolation, and self-destruction.

One of the best songs on the album is Ain't it Fun? - a cover song that stands out in the album as it showcases their humor and lightens up the tone of the album a bit. The track has a catchy guitar riff and a great solo that makes it a standout in the overall intensity of the record.

The most innovative part of the album is the band's raw and unpolished sound. The band doesn't sound like they're playing their instruments, but rather like they're abusing them. The chaotic sound and volatile rhythm of the music perfectly captures the punk attitude of the album and honestly, it might even be more fitting to call it rock and roll played with punk energy.

However, the album has its flaws. While the songs individually are strong, the album as a whole feels one-dimensional. They could have used more variety in their sound and explored other sonic avenues. The band's nihilistic perspective can be exhausting to listen to throughout the entire album, and it can get repetitive. Additionally, the production quality could have been better - the sound can be flat at times which detracts from the power of the music.

In conclusion, We Have Come for Your Children is a snapshot of Dead Boys' reckless, nihilistic energy and style. The band delivers raw punk rock that is unapologetic and intense, but also has its flaws. The band could have used more variety in their sound and the production quality could have been improved. Overall, the album is worth listening to and is a staple in punk rock history.

In conclusion, We Have Come for Your Children is a snapshot of Dead Boys' reckless, nihilistic energy and style. The band delivers raw punk rock that is unapologetic and intense, but also has its flaws. The band could have used more variety in their sound and the production quality could have been improved. Overall, the album is worth listening to and is a staple in punk rock history.