Album Review: Rebel Spies – Rise! (Underground Communique Records)

Mixing Star Wars with punk/hardcore? Say hello to Rebel Spies. A Detroit based band who have just released Rise! through Underground Communique Records.

For those quick to dismiss Rebel Spies as nothing more then a gimmick band, it’s worth noting that the band’s Star Wars references are far more subtle than you think. Instead, it’s best to see Rise! as inspired by the universe of Star Wars.

What we get here are eleven tracks of bouncy, hardcore infused punk. Bringing plenty of exciting rhythm & catchy beats, That Mask gets things off to a flyer before Sorry About the Mess grabs the Death Star plans & races off. The latter is a much shorter & to the point track but it serves it well.

There is no escaping the lovely punk rhythm that is layered throughout the album. Such an important driving force, the vocals sit a little further back in the mix pushing everything else forward to great effect. Domain of Evil (Chapter One) is an absolute killer track. Like listening to the death screams of Jar Jar Binks!

The slower beat of See You in Hell is a nice change of pace, the more melodic chorus proving that Rebel Spies has plenty more to offer.

Things do slightly taper off near the end with No & What Have I Done? leaving little impression. Hardly bad songs, just not quite living up to what has been heard so far. Thankfully Fire When Ready brings back the intensity before Not Dead, Not Yet finishes things off well. A strong finish to a really strong piece of raw punk rock!

Rebel Spies – Rise! Full Track Listing:

1. That Mask
2. Sorry About the Mess
3. We Must be Cautious
4. Domain of Evil (Chapter One)
5. A Certain Point of View
6. See You in Hell
7. There’s Nothing Left for me Now
8. No
9. What Have I Done?
10. Fire When Ready
11. Not Dead, Not Yet

You can pick up Rise! in many different formats over on Underground Communique Records’ Bandcamp. You can also pick up Rebel Spies’ music via their Bandcamp. Find out more about the band on Facebook & the record label here.