D.O.A. - Northern Avenger

Artist: D.O.A.

Album: Northern Avenger

Label: Sudden Death Records

As much as I love modern american hardcore punk I'm not too familiar with the genre's legacy bands.  While I certainly know and respect genre pioneers like Black Flag, Husker Du, and D.O.A., I've never really been able to get too deep into them.  Maybe its the old school DIY production quality, the often less than melodic core, or maybe even the intensionally sloppy execution, but I've just never found myself drawn to these bands' massive discographies despite fully indulging in their modern counterparts.  But then I stumbled across Vancouver hardcore legend D.O.A.'s 23rd studio album, Northern Avenger.

Released in conjunction with their thirty year anniversary, Northern Avenger defines itself as D.O.A.'s most polished and accessible album of their career.  The recording quality has been upped to modern standards, and each song boasts stand alone playability.  But these changes shouldn't be interpreted as D.O.A. changing their signature style or buckling to modern trends.  The changes sound quite natural and actually serve to clarify the band's raw essence.  Vocals, drums, and guitars sound distinct and defined.  But not to fear, lead vocalist Joey "Shithead" Keithley's vocals sound as coarse and growly as ever (maybe even more so), and D.O.A.'s hard guitar riffs commonly characteristic to hardcore punk remain as fierce as thirty years ago.  Being one of the fathers of american hardcore, it's not surprising the band still sounds so uncompromising.

I imagine Northern Avenger's themes remains quite true to their past content.  Much like their early hardcore contemporaries, D.O.A. preaches rebellion in light of civil injustice.  Tracks like "Police Brutality" and "This Machine Kills Fascists" describe corrupt or overly aggressive police officers, and "Human Bomb" promotes weaponless protest as the most powerful form of resistance.  They also refer to social issues from poverty to global warming.  One of the strongest tracks, "Golden State," ironically compares California's attractive global image with its overly indulgent Southern Californian way of life with references to greenhouse gases and massive freeways.  Vancouver has one of the greatest visible economic disparities in North America, and D.O.A. approach the issue with their ska influenced track, "Poor Poor Boy." The track details the sense of abandonment associated with being born into Vancouver street life on Hastings Street (one of the poorest neighborhoods in North America).  Furthermore, the track's bouncy ska tempo captures the Vancouver middle class's tendency to downplay the daily social injustice that is Hastings Street.  It's a powerful song for anyone familiar with the area.   Northern Avenger many more Canadian references, and on a personal note, it's quite refreshing hearing explicit references to local social issues.

With Northern Avenger D.O.A. has crafted a great modern introduction to 80's hardcore punk.  While upon hearing about the improved production quality some may initially accuse D.O.A. of bending over to modern trends, a quick listening should dispel skepticism.  The tracks are still raw, uncompromising, and filled with as much passion and energy as anything in D.O.A.'s early library.  This is the same D.O.A. that ushered in hardcore in the 80's, and with Northern Avenger they're keeping the now neglected genre relevant thirty years later.