S.A.A.B. – Motor Militia CD (Elitbolaget)

Here’s another neat release from a hefty package sent by Elitbolaget. What makes this band unique is their background story. S.A.A.B. stands for Satanists Against Atheist Believers, and the band began when the game developer asked for some punk rock music for his game, something in the vein of the classic punk rock bands like Ramones and Misfits. The musicians gathered for this occasion, worked on the songs, recorded them, but the game was far from finished, and the band members decided to publish their work as a standalone release. Elitbolaget did the digital distribution and limited edition of 100 compact discs in 2018, but the game developer called them back for some music in 2021, so maybe you’ll have the chance to hear these songs while gaming as well.

Motor Militia carries dozen of cleverly assembled punk rock songs, but S.A.A.B. have plenty of tricks up in their sleeves. Their music sounds more of a mixture of classic punk rock, melodic punk rock, rock’n’roll, and heavy metal, which will unquestionably work just fine for the needs of the video game. Some purists maybe wouldn’t be impressed by this genre crossovers, but this mixture sounds surprisingly good and works in advantage of the band. Each composition delivers an entirely different listening experience, mainly because these musicians combine some genres that usually don’t work together in harmony. However, they nailed it in their attempts to recreate classic punk rock sound that doesn’t seem repetitious and dull.

It’s more than clear these guys are having a great time while mocking some of the renowned brands that paved the way for the beforementioned underground music genres. Still, they managed to maintain a professional approach to writing, composing, and producing while having the best time of their lives. A healthy dosage of wittiness is enclosed within each song, but it doesn’t overwhelm the overall listening experience. What surprises me the most is how they blended classic punk rock with heavy metal but still sound much more like a melodic punk rock band. If you need a much closer comparison, think of Misfits fighting over with Manowar about who sounds like ultimately pissed The Offspring the most. That’s the closest comparison I could think of at the moment. Strangely unique, but it works. Motor Militia is still available on CD at Elitbolaget, so if you feel intrigued, do not hesitate to head over to their Bandcamp page and purchase yourself a copy.