Toro Bravo – Tik Į Priekį! CD (Pasidaryk Pats Records)

Toro Bravo is one of the oldest and probably first Lithuanian antifascist Oi! groups that have been around since 1997. The group has loads of recordings such as The Best Of Toro Bravo, Kelias, Šventė Nesibaigia, Keisti Ipročiai, Tavo Vertybės, and Skausmas Nieko Nereiški. The group nurtured the DIY approach to publishing for years, so they released their albums by themselves until Tavo Vertybės when they approached Pasidaryk Pats Records to help them out. Besides being profoundly active in the studio, Toro Bravo also performed live all over Europe, without being too picky about venues, so you might encounter them live on both open-air shows or small squat gigs.

Tik Į Priekį is their latest offering to the broader auditorium comprised of nine street punk compositions. These numbers are criticizing the prevalence of stupidity across the globe, questioning life in general, questioning friendships, encouraging to move on despite hard times, and calling out the scene to unite against the system. Toro Bravo also covers some common street punk themes like the overwhelming excitement during the football match, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, and working-class struggle. Toro Bravo mocks society through quite an entertaining approach to life philosophies, stacked with loads of sarcasm and humor. However, the group urges you to think about these issues. There’s a dosage of intelligence hidden beneath the piled layers of humor, but the group conveys the messages in such a delicate, indirect manner.

Musicwise, Toro Bravo leans towards old school street punk music, so characteristic for British groups who rose to prominence sometime from the mid-eighties to mid-nineties. Their sound is similar to some renowned groups such as The Business, Cockney Rejects, Cock Sparrer, Sham 69, Red Alert, and Peter & The Test Tube Babies. The band solely relies on appealing singalongs and anthemic choruses, powered by regular four-chord progressions. The guitars are usually delivering some palm-muted riffages throughout the verses, decorated by minimalistic lead guitar melodies. Still, Toro Bravo showcases their full potential through highly energetic choruses, fully stacked by entertaining moments. Basslines are vividly hearable throughout the entire album, and these warm-sounding tones are liberating even more power that fulfills the ambiance. The drummer keeps everything in moderate tempos, so characteristic for street punk/Oi! sound, but the album doesn’t sound monotonous at all.

Tik Į Priekį represents a comprehensive collection of hymnic numbers that will suit even the pickiest admirers of street punk sound. This material comes in between the classic and contemporary trends within this particular music scene. However, it also offers loads of good moments that are keeping this recording entertaining for a while. Tik Į Priekį comes housed in a digipak case with a great illustration of a raging bull. The release also includes a lyric sheet and all the necessary info about the album. Tik Į Priekį is available at Pasidaryk Pats Records Bandcamp page, so head over and treat yourself if you’re a fan of a good Oi! music.