The Austrian punk trio Deecracks have been slogging it out in basement parties and clubs for 15 years now, all the while adhering to a strong DIY ethos that saw them self-releasing most of their records, when they weren’t booking their own shows across the globe.
Indie street punk/oi! stalwart Pirate Press jumped in and offered to release the band’s latest, Sonic Delusions, giving the band a better shot at exposure in the U.S. And just a couple of songs in, it’s clear what Pirate Press saw in the band.
Stripped completely of any traces of pretention, the band puts out loud, melodic, one-to-two-minute bursts of addictive, frantic energy, coming off like Bouncing Souls and Anti-Flag egging each other on. Singing in English, the band peel off distorted guitar licks, rapid fire drums, and sing-along choruses aplenty across 16 tracks.
There are a few tracks here and there that start to sound redundant, but there are far more memorable songs here like the infectious “Mentalane,” “It’s Been A While,” and the impressive instrumental “Mexican Standoff” (clocking in at nearly three minutes, one of their longest songs). Fifteen years into it, it’s about time U.S. audiences finally discovered this band.
