V/A – For Family And Flag Vol. 1. (Pirates Press Records)

Pirates Press Records are active for fifteen years and counting by releasing only the premium streetpunk, Oi!, ska, and reggae artists you could imagine. Since the establishment in 2005, Pirates Press has worked hard on promoting its extensive roster by simultaneously pushing new names in the game and renowned artists, without losing any quality along this journey. The commitment to the punk rock community and the continuous exceptional quality of their back catalog speaks out for the credibility of Pirates Records, which is unquestionably settling them as one of the leading recording labels on the underground punk rock scene. The label celebrated its 200th release with triple-vinyl compilation One Family, One Flag, which sparked out an enormous interest for this type of records among their devoted followers, so Pirates Press has decided to publish another compilation in the same manner. However, this brand new compilation album threatens to become the tradition that will bring more editions under the same name in the nearest future.

For Family And Flag represents the first volume in the announced series of compilation albums that will highlight some exclusive artists, put even more spotlight on the label’s favorite picks, or promote some new and upcoming releases. This particular volume delivers fourteen engaging compositions by some prominent names on the underground scene, which are representing the current part of the Pirates Press Records catalog. Besides some already published numbers, For Family And Flag exclusively delivers four new compositions by Cock Sparrer, Bishops Green, 45 Adapters, and Lenny Lashley’s Gang Of One. The remaining portion of the line-up consists of Shuffle And Bang, The Slackers, The Barstool Preachers, The Drowns, Charger, NOI!SE, Seized Up, Subhumans, Lion’s Law, and Antagonizers ATL.

As you can see, the line-up is pretty much diverse, so besides the dominant presence of streetpunk and Oi! artists, you’ll stumble upon some reggae, ska, rock’n’roll, hardcore punk, and anarcho-punk music that fits perfectly fine at this particular compilation album. Besides focusing on promoting their current roster, Pirates Press Records also thought about consistency, aesthetics, and overall listening experience, so the entire album leads you through meaningful, thematically engaging songs that are somehow connected all together. Not to mention the exceptional quality of all the presented artists and their widely known abilities in writing proper compositions, so I am positively sure this compilation will receive a favorite spot in your record collection.

Pirates Press Records thought about visual aesthetics as well. For Family And Flag is following the visual identity of One Family, One Flag, with a colossal black flag placed on the front cover artwork. The same Pirates Press logo decorates the vinyl sleeve, but it reveals a die-cut shape of the flag that formed by a black vinyl record. The eye-peeling inlay cover includes artist logos, all the necessary info about the involved artists, and all other stuff you need to know about this particular compilation and the label itself. For Family And Flag Volume 1 comes on a standard black vinyl limited in 950 copies, blood-red vinyl limited in 250 copies, and compact disc limited to 2000 copies. The compilation is also available on all streaming services if you prefer digesting your music digitally. Head over to Pirates Press Records web store and support this hardworking record label and its artists by purchasing this exceptional vinyl release.