Mučin – Mučin LP (Geenger Records)

Once again, Oi! music goes through a well-deserved resurgence, offering the well-known sounds to both newbies to the scene and longtime fans who want to evoke some nostalgia. And honestly, what’s not to like about it when you have all those anthemic choruses, powerful riffs, groovy basslines, and steady beats? It’s a recipe for success, as much as it is allowed on the underground music scene. And as long as some bands follow that traditional British and American scheme that made this music so irresistibly catchy, anthemic, and powerful, there are also bands who tend to experiment by blending in more punk rock subgenres into a sonic equation. Therefore, you have a fine mishmash of Oi! and post-punk sound, something that my experienced ear still cannot understand entirely, but totally respect due to the fact that I am, after all, a post-punk fan for three decades. And my lack of comprehension doesn’t come from the sonic but the ethical point, because these two subgenres have entirely different background. And while working-class rage of Oi! music arrived in the late seventies as a direct response to the art-school background of post-punk bands that flooded the charts, I have to admit that this modern stylistic collision sounds oddly satisfying in most cases. Satisfying to the point that bands emerging from Germany, France, and Canada explore this sonic experimentation pretty much successfully, leaving some of the finest works the Oi! scene has heard or seen in recent years. But why focus on bands far away from the home turf when we have perfect examples in our neighborhood? Mučin, a Montenegrin band based in Podgorica, exemplifies how this blend can sound as potent, powerful, and catchy at the same time. With their new self-titled full-length vinyl release, an amalgamation of two extended plays and bonus live tracks, they capture the raw essence of what Oi! music is all about, and all of that while infusing more than a necessary dosage of melody, harmony, and abstraction along the way.

Right off the bat, Mučin excels in things that most of those Oi!/post-punk hybrid bands lack. You immediately notice these folks nurture the sound of the streets, far away from that sterile, generic, unnatural studio polish that many bands nowadays implement into their recordings. They use rawness, abrasion, and aggression as a decorative tool that elevates their sound to an entirely new level. You can especially hear that on the A-Side, a spot where the band included their entire first self-titled extended play. Songs like “Prošlost Se Ne Briše,” “Zima,” “Eho 68,” and “Glas” certainly carry a dosage of melody, but not in that post-punk sense. Instead, on their debut extended play, Mučin employ that traditional British Oi! sound, uplifted with raw, unfiltered riffs, warm-sounding basslines, and steady beats. The vocals are aggressive, powerful, and commanding, as they should be when it comes to a genre like this one. Even the production and some ideas incorporated into this recording remind me of the finest eras of Oi! Music definitely was in its prime, which is, of course, another quality that makes A-side so good. Besides studio works, you can also capture a glimpse of their performance in live renditions of “Prošlost Se Ne Briše,” “Zima” and “Eho 68.” Judging by what I’ve heard on those live recordings, these folks are equally good both in live and studio settings. On the flipside, we’re treated to “…Besmislenost Njegovo Je Postojanje,“ another excellent extended play, released like all their previous recordings by the unstoppable Geenger Records from Croatia. This particular material continues the same sonic tradition the band showcased on their debut extended play, but with more themes, melodies, and harmonies included along the way. The better sound quality and production are also another detail you might notice, as it really showcases the creative abilites of this band by putting their brilliant ideas and outstanding musicianship more upfront into the ears of the consumer. But despite their more melodic side on this particular recording, there’s still that rawness, abrasion, and aggression included. It’s something most international bands sacrifice in the name of better production and more crowd appeal, but certainly works for Mučin in the best possible way. Somehow, their songs do not lose that power that makes Oi! music so memorable, and all of that while the themes and melodies lurk around. The band unquestionably worked their way around, creating material that shines in the limelight. And while the entire recording sounds great, songs like “Ustaj,” “Bezimena,” and “Sva Besmislenost Njegovo Je Postojanje” are compositions you should definitely pay attention to. Of course, there are live renditions of some songs, and they also covered a Blitz’s classic.

Therefore, if you’re looking for the finest music the European Oi! scene has to offer but still crave some melodic, ethereal, abstract, otherworldly post-punk themes to put you into a setting for contemplation about socio-political flaws of modern society, this self-titled amalgam will definitely be right up your alley. Do not miss it! It’s available on vinyl via our pals Geenger Records.