In the early days of the Dutch Oi! scene, when the movement was tiny, intense, and defiantly outside the rest of the alternative music world, one name kept turning up both on stage and behind the scenes: Wouter of Razorblade. Through his band and the label Rebellion Records, he helped connect a scattered underground of skins and street-punk fans. In this conversation he looks back on how it all started, the records that still hit hardest, and the projects that keep the fire going.

In this conversation, Wattie of the French Oi/punk band Lion's Law reflects on how he entered the scene, the band’s mix of generations, the darker edge of French punk, unforgettable shows, and the records that still matter.

For the fifth year in succession,Oi! In Hoofddorp managed to turn CPunt into a genuine street-punk fortress. What started as an Oi! meeting a few years ago in the area, has turned into one of the more established day festivals of the Netherlands and beyond. On a September Saturday, poppodium CPunt turned into a home for boots, braces and of course a crowd which knew what they could expect: hard, uncut Oi! and streetpunk. This years lineup promised a hell of a show (Razorblade, Lions Law, The Reapers, No Heart, Exili, Tear Up, Young Ones) and it certainly did deliver a great day that kept up with the reputation that belongs to this festival.

It is indeed a tough task to keep coming up with street-punk anthems from cricket slang for two decades; but that has been the case with Geoffrey Oi!Cott from Yorkshire for quite some time now. This new album t'20 Years – Singles, Extras and Leg Byes is a collection of singles, B-sides and other rare releases which form a proper retrospect for a band that has thrived on a superbly concept for two decades.

When the three-piece from the Isle of Wight dropped their debut during the pandemic lockdown in 2020, there was no need for any elaborate introduction. The Appalled came through as concise and direct without much fuss, offering their listeners a clear representation of how life goes in the absence of anything to fall back on. Regrettable, tenacious, and yet still standing, the band managed to create their self-titled debut album five years ago. In 2025, a vinyl edition has been released by Street Rats Records.

Un orgull pels teus arrived in July 2025, but it took seeing Exili booked for Oi! in Hoofddorp this September to fully register how solid a debut it remains. The Catalan Oi! band had already built a reputation through a run of EPs and splits since forming in 2017. The full-length simply confirmed what those shorter releases suggested: a group rooted in working-class pride, local history, and the skinhead/Oi! continuum without needing to shout about it.

New England's newest Oi! band, Cittizins, didn't exactly tiptoe onto the scene. They dropped their debut full-length, "The Last Resort," in the spring of 2026 on Friends Family Forever Records. It felt less like an introduction and more like a statement of intent.  The album came out in early May, hot on the heels of the title track single released in April. With this record, Cittizins have firmly planted themselves in the Northeast's street-punk and Oi! scene, the same world that recently welcomed back Yellow Stitches with their album "Back With A Gang."Cittizins put out music with the kind of urgency you’d expect from a band that knows exactly what they’re doing. "The Last Resort" is packed with guest spots that read like a who's who of the Northeast scene. You’ve got Al Barr from The Bruisers and Dropkick Murphys, plus members from bands like Haywire 617, Yellow Stitches, Blood for Blood, Forced Reality, Conservative Military Image, and The Drunks, among others. These aren't just random appearances; they feel like badges of belonging, solid proof that Cittizins have been welcomed into the extended family of shaved heads, steel-toed boots, and shared stages.

Over ten years without a full length album. That's a pretty good chunk of time to be (sort of) absent from the Oi! and street-punk underground. But Manchester, New Hampshire's Yellow Stitches finally decided to make some noise again in April 2026. They dropped "Back With A Gang," their first full-length release since way back in 2012 with "Good Times Violent Crimes." It came out on Friends Family Forever Records, and this seven-track, 23-minute burst of energy is a quick, punchy way of saying they never really left the scene. 

Laurel Aitken the “Godfather of Ska" never truly left the building. Over twenty years after his death, a selection of his unfinished studio tapes have been brought back to life by Madrid outfit Mighty Megatones – and it’s uncanny, it sounds like lost-to-the-world recordings from the vault. On fresh tracks, that are so convincing they could have been laid down at any point in the last half-century, Laurel’s voice sits over brand-new studio backing from one of the most establishedska backing bands going - Alpheus, Roy Ellis, and Keith & Tex have already worked with them over the years. This isn’t about new skash-it about’s all classic ska/rocksteady with the right conscious roots feel and with an assured Laurel Aitken on top of his game .

Texas's Bullshit Detectör released a compilation of remastered singles from their No Joy EP, their split with Empire Down, the Liberty & Justice split and a couple of bonus tracks. This isn't so much new music as a highly polished reflection of their output over the past few years.Expect a nihilistic and bleak take on streetpunk/Oi!, clearly with French inspiration (think Syndrome 81 or Rancoeur's work), tinged with hints of late-Blitz-era coldwave that at times touches on more death-rock or Synth-heavy territory. The band label it "thugwave," a fitting description: heavier, more downcast Oi! That dips into elements of post-punk, Goth or even death-rock without losing its sharp edge.

For over a decade, Grade 2 has honed their unique blend of youthful urgency and seasoned experience into something truly compelling. Their latest album, Talk About It, showcases this evolution more than ever before. While they maintain their identity as a street-punk trio from the Isle of Wight, their songs now carry a deeper emotional weight and a refreshing sense of resolve.

NYC street-punk lifers have returned and are delivering at the top of their game! Their 12th full-length and debut at Hellcat features Casualties-style energy pure fast paced, gang-chorus hardcore/street punk that's packed with UK 82 style and of course that original New York grit.

Gatecrash are the latest project from Russ Farrell (Dirtbox Disco / Spunk Volcano & The Eruptions), Daryl Smith (Cock Sparrer / Argy Bargy) and Andy Furr (late of Knock Off) on bass and Maff (Dirtbox Disco / Spunk Volcano) on drums. They announced themselves on Facebook in March with the kind of no-frills transparency we should be taking more of, "Pound Shop supergroup at best". Fair enough, but when the line-up's pedigree includes Cock Sparrer and the Dirtbox crew, you're already pretty guaranteed to have massive choruses and really rocking songs.

There’s something deeply satisfying about Knock Off having such a reassuringly predictable presence. At a time when punk bands probably care more about their public persona, whether they are the 'right' subgenre and how they present on social media than their actual songs, the Watford/London three piece have always sounded more interested in just getting down to business. Fast, British street punk, massive sing-alongs, terrace attitude, working-class outrage and humor.

Formed in Ventura, California in, Toledo Panic made a compelling entrance with a concise yet striking self-titled EP. Less than two years later they deliver their debut full-length, a confident twelve-track statement that already feels fully realized and ready to make its mark. Released on the reliable German DIY label Lionheart Records, Till The Work Is Done sits comfortably in the current wave of American street-punk and Oi! while carrying its own working-class stubbornness.

Shaved For Battle, a band from New Hyde Park, has established a strong reputation in the American Oi! scene over the last five years. They play straightforward, bootboy rock and roll. From their early demo to their recent album "Unbreakable," the band has consistently delivered songs with working class lyrics and the classic East Coast skinhead sound they aim to preserve. Now, they're releasing a collection of unreleased material, not just for nostalgia, but for a more important reason.

For nearly a decade, Lost Legion has operated as a low-profile force within Chicago’s underground, releasing selected 7″ singles, limited splits, and a sparse presence across compilations. In My Skin marks the first comprehensive collection of their work, compiling twenty tracks from 2015 to 2025 and tracing the band’s progression from a gritty, Oi!-inspired act to a more refined yet undeniably intense presence with a stronger melodic identity.

Seattle punk rock 'n rollers The Drowns release their most definitive political statement till date on their fourth album, "Harsh Reality," out September 18 on Pirates Press Records. Produced by Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag) at The Blasting Room and mixed by Jason Livermore, "Harsh Reality" sharpens the band's unique blend of street-punk fuel, anthemic melodies and working-class spirit to 13 hyper-focused tracks.

Somehow, two guys who should by all rights be stuck busy with their main gigs cooked up one of the most legit vintage ska/reggae/rocksteady records to come out of Southern California in years, and i am really glad they did. Matt Hensley (Flogging Molly) and Sean Wheeler (Throw Rag) have been chipping away at this since 2017. Nearly ten years later, Rude and Lovely is finally out.

You hear Melbourne punk band The Clinch, and you're thinking street-punk anthems. Late nights with mates, drinking until the pubs shut down. Time's Up is real rockandroll streetpunk, for sure. What sets this album apart from just rehashing the past is this undeniable feeling of place and real stakes.These are the kind of songs for people who show up when it really matters. The Clinch has always touched on these themes, but here it feels even more raw, more to the point.

Brand New Age, the Swedish band formed by members of The Bristles, Smash It Up, Analrevolt, Jinx, and others in 2024, presents another chapter of working-class authenticity on their second album, Tell Us The Truth. The band delivers a punishing and uncompromising listen throughout the 10-track release, which sees the band members continuing to channel their dissatisfaction with a society that continues to fail the working man.

German street-punk/Oi! group Collaps returns with the second full-length album called Getting Used To The Dirt. It has eleven tracks that last for less than half an hour. The band has fulfilled the expectations because each of these songs is catchy, powerful, straight street punk with anthemic melodies, straightforward chords, and aggressive vocals.

Malang skins are keeping the Indonesian Oi! flame burning bright. In early 2024 THE RECKLESS made their introduction to the world with a two-piece offering titled Kelas Pekerja—immediately expressing working-class pride and south-side attitude. Fast-forward to two years later and we are now presented with the full-length debut of THE RECKLESS, full of pure street punk, with the message of the record preserved from old times to present. The city, the brothers, the empty pocket, the band do not allow themselves to let the past years go by. No trendy bullshit here—just real skinhead punk from a scene that has existed since 1990 with bands like No Man’s Land and The End.

Guadalajara’s Mess have quickly cemented themselves as one of the most thrilling young bands holding down the line for classic Streetpunk and Oi!. Somos Mess finally gathers up their early work from 2020-2022 - all of their EPs, singles and split tracks - remastered for one killer LP. This is a big one for collectors as it includes the tracks from their out-of-print split with The Chisel! Mess are playing straight up, no frills Streetpunk that taps deep into the spirit of the first wave of Oi!, with driving rhythms, shouted vocals and hooks that lodge into your brain on the first spin.

Plymouths street punk band Riot City Radio has come out with their album and it is a real kick in the teeth. These guys, who used to be in bands like Arch Rivals and Hostile Minds do not waste any time. Spitting Teeth has 11 songs that're raw and catchy. This album gets it right: it has the catchy guitar sound of Rancid the spirit of singing along with Lions Law and the attitude of the old punk bands. It has heart, songs that get stuck in your head and enough energy to start a pit. 

If you have been wanting that honest street punk to come back Control have just released what we were looking for. Their sixth album, Kick Down The Doors is the new music from them in over seven years and it is really good.

Social Distortion just released Born to Kill, their first album in 15 years, and it feels like a long-awaited knockout punch. Mike Ness and the band sound reenergized, hungry, and more genuine than ever. They blend raw punk energy with that signature country-blues style that made them legends. A lot can happen in fifteen years. Yet some things stay the same. On their eighth album, Born to Kill, Social Distortion sounds just like they did on their last record fifteen years ago.

As my fanatical followers would be aware of, I am totally addicted to French Oi! from the 'classic' bands such as Camera Silens, Komintern Sect, etc, ever since I had the pleasure of listening to them. So the debut 12" EP of the Montreal/Gainesville band certainly caught my eye! This is an absolutely awesome no-nonsense package of classic street punk rock which sounds highly influenced by the era of "Chaos En France" and the like bands. It is just about 12 minutes long and contains only 5 tracks but misses nothing. Highly melodic and catchy yet never weak, punchy and powerful with that classic 80s oi! sound!

In the mid-90s, when a lot of the original Oi! bands had practically disappeared or changed their style, The Business really made a huge comeback with Keep The Faith, a truly hardcore street punk album that proclaimed who was the real and original working-class punk champion. Originally released in 1994 right after the band came out of a break, it reflects a moment when the band was changing but still very much keeping the edge of their previous work.

Fresh off their 2024 debut Statues EP, Cornwall's Unrivalled —led by the battle-hardened vocals of Mike Brands (ex-Arch Rivals)—deliver a proper six-track statement with We Are The Enemy. At a sharp 20 minutes, this is not background music for your tea pasties party.

Seven years after Reggae Now!, LA's unchallenged kings of Dirty Reggae return with Super Atomic, and it's precisely the shot of high-octane, groove-heavy skank the scene needed. Released on June 5, 2026, this 11-track, 39-minute burner finds the band at their most tight and intentional yet, thanks in part to their tireless touring and a "trust the groove" philosophy.

The guys from Convict Class just sent me their latest album Not The Enemy directly from Australia, and on an Amsterdam morning I "clicked play" and suddenly it felt like I had been transported to a sweaty Warrnambool pub. There was not a single moment when I was able to resist as from the opening chords to the final feedback, this record mesmerizes its listener completely, a real streetpunk monster that oozes life, honesty, and is also full of that raw working-class fire that inspired the scene in the first place.

I downloaded the new NOi!SE album Fate of the Union on bandcamp and hit play. From the very first notes, I was hooked – transported straight into the heart of Tacoma, Washington’s streetpunk scene.

If you don’t already know who these guys from Houston are, you’ve really been living under a rock this last few years. Liberty & Justice takes the musical foundations built by bands like The Templars and 4-Skins, but immediately demolishes all that is the tradition with hardcore power like that of Sheer Terror.

The Clench are a Scottish Oi! outfit that hit the scene in the early 2020s and quickly carved out a strong identity: raw, melodic street punk with working-class bite, singalong choruses, and enough hard-rock swagger. Both of these six-track mini-LPs (around 17 minutes each) feel like two chapters of the same story—energetic, no-frills Oi! that sounds best cranked loud with mates or on a long drive. Listening to them back-to-back, as I did, really highlights how consistent and solid the band is while showing subtle growth.

Gimp Fist hit back with a statement release in the form of a twelve-track album, 'Take the Power Back' and, as veteran punters will know, these Bishop Auckland lads have been treading the boards in the UK's street punk scene since time immemorial and that pedigree really shines through here. Gimp Fist still carry their distinctive working-class fury, mixed with their renowned rhythmic and sometimes infectious foot-stomping verve, when the band veers into their signature reggae and ska influences. And as the title suggests, this one hits hard.

Mess serves a no-frills crash course in the classics-classic street punk and Oi!-culled from the streets of Guadalajara, Mexico, via their Somos Mess compilation (out May 2026). The 16-track collection packages up the band's 2020-2022 output-EPs, singles, rarities, split 7-inches-freshly remastered and on a single LP. 

Heathen Peaces second album, Total Fucking War, is a solid record that is a fast, aggressive mix of black metal and Oi! punk that actually works. If you like the speed of bands like Marduk or Darkthrone but also enjoy the raw, shouty energy of street punk, this record hits that spot. 

Justice Served is a no-nonsense American Oi! band from the East Coast, delivering straight-up working-class anthems rooted in the classic sound of the genre. Their EP/album Against You, released March 23, 2026, builds on their 2025 demo with six tracks of aggressive, chant-ready punk energy.

Boston’s Badterms have finally dropped their long-awaited full-length debut, and it delivers a knockout punch that feels both overdue and perfectly timed. After years of building anticipation through sharp 7-inches and punchy EPs, Nest of Vipers arrives as a lean, ferocious eight-tracker that clocks in at just 21 minutes yet leaves a massive impression.

Shaved for Battle deliver another punchy slab of no-nonsense American East Coast Oi! with Unbreakable, their latest full-length. Twelve tracks in just over half an hour, this album wastes zero time getting to the point: straight-ahead street punk with roaring gang vocals, driving rhythms, and that classic boot-stomping energy.

While the world spins faster with its endless noise and plastic promises, Carry No Banners from Dresden remind us what real streetpunk still sounds like: raw, pissed off, and built on the same bricks as the old estates. Their new EP Some Things Change... Some Things Don't clocks in at a tight 10 tracks and under 27 minutes – exactly how long it should take to remember why you got into this in the first place.

Some bands stay with you for a lifetime. For me, that band has always been Backfire!. From the first time I heard their raw, uncompromising sound, they became the undisputed godfathers of Eurocore in my eyes — the band that defined what European hardcore could and should be. Thirty-two years after forming in Maastricht, they have now closed the chapter with The Last Confession, a five-track mini-album released on March 20, 2026, via WTF Records. Holding this final release feels like saying goodbye to old friends who shaped who I am.

I was in the car driving to my girlfriend, windows down even though it was pissing down. Put the album on blind,two seconds into “Who Made You King” and I was grinning like an idiot, volume knob straight to the right. That opening riff and Cobley’s bark cut through the rain like he was sat in the passenger seat having a proper shout at me. By the time it finished I’d driven an extra five kilometers just to hear the whole thing again.

Complaint just dropped a proper boot-stomper. Era of Decline delivers 15 tracks of raw, aggressive Oi! with in just 30 minutes. From the opening “One Two Let’s Go” to the closing anthems, these lads from Brabant deliver straightforward, aggressive street punk. 

If you’ve ever wondered where the real boots-and-braces spirit went in Finland while the rest of the punk scene chased trends, The Boasters just answered with a straight right hook to the jaw. Dancefloor K.O. is ten tracks of no-nonsense streetpunk, Oi! and pub rock’n’roll.

The new full-length from Amsterdam's Savage Beat, Bright Lights, Tall Shadows (Wap Shoo Wap Records, out March 6, 2026), arrives with the kind of unfiltered aggression that reminds one why punk and rock 'n' roll still matter in a world drowning in polished product. Formed in 2016, these self-styled ambassadors of high-energy "street boogie" have spent a decade grinding it out on stages from Europe to the USA, sharing bills with The Damned, Cock Sparrer, Angelic Upstarts, and The Exploited, and earning spots at festivals like Zwarte Cross, Scumbash, Helldorado, Revolution Calling, and Sjock. No shortcuts, no hype machines—just sweat, blown speakers, and a commitment to three chords delivered at full throttle.

In the raw underbelly of Buffalo's punk scene, TAKER emerges as a formidable force with their debut full-length, Sons and Daughters, released on January 22, 2026, via Contra Records. This 11-track salvo distills the essence of Oi! grit into a potent, melodic brew, channeling the streetwise urgency of Stiff Little Fingers and The Business while injecting the Ramones' beach-blanket bravado. Fronted by Eric from Violent Way and bolstered by veterans from Corvo, Healer, and They Live, the band crafts an album that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary—a soundtrack for the disaffected.