This Much Remains is the first new album by anarcho punk legends Conflict in 22 years, I will admit to having spent most of the bands 40 odd year lifetime avoiding them, on the grounds that I would have been far too clean and reeking of perfume to go to one of the bands gigs in the 80's, and other snotty attitudes, listening to this album only proves how wrong I obviously was. 2025 is probably the year we need angry bands like Conflict more than any other year since they formed, they are back and sound like they are ready to rouse us all to fight back.
The current line-up is Colin Jerwood, Fiona Friel, Gav King, Fran Fearon and Stoo Meadows with special guests Benjamin Zephaniah and Mitsuko Sonoda. The album is self-produced with Andrew Banfield recording them at Superfly Studios Ollerton and mastered by Tim Turan.
The album opens with the ambient sounds and strings that lead into The Impossible Soul a sampled news announcer starts talking about Police using tear gas on demonstrators, dread of nuclear war and Mitsuko Sonoda's narration come in over the slow guitars, this is thoughtful and feels like the calm before the storm.
This Much Remains allows the storm to be unleashed, bile and anger at the insanity of modern politics and late-stage disaster capitalism, making clear they have had more than enough lying and bullshit, from those who claim to rule over us. Guitars strafe and the drums attempt to kick down every wall they can, Colin and Fiona make clear how much we need to all get off our arses and protest.
The Collusion Of Exclusion that finds a way through all the manipulated statistics, to keep us all under the yoke, they are angry about everything we should all be angry about, it's time for revolution and to bring the system down, while acknowledging that the song remains the same, Conflict are still pissed about the same shit they were in 1982.
Outside The Box is where this angry taut punk noise has always sat, whatever you do don't try to live inside the box, that road leads to elves on shelves and other dread, listen to the message Colin carefully sets out before the raging guitars come back in.
Masters Of The Race? Takes aim at the billionaires who made obscene profits during the pandemic that immiserated millions of normal people, they want to shatter the fragile egos of the stink coming from Musk and co.
That Other Song is calm reflections for those lost in the pandemic and other sad losses along the road. Keeping the flame alive for the friends who departed too soon.
Echoes of the screams of agony of the dispossessed, he wants to remember who he lost in the endless search for a better life, a saner way of living.
Cut The Crap and let that bassline bulldoze your brain, commodity traders are questioned to why they destroy in the name of profit, how can we find a solution, well introduce Benjamin Zephaniah to rap out his answer and explanation, they start to skank along to his message of recognizing Babylon's awful influence.
Stuart Meadows drums pummel the hell out of Shut The Fuck Up a furious hardcore blast of hatred for the class of people who only deserve derision and hatred, especially the keyboard warriors who never leave home to protest.
Rebellion's In Session (Again) is the latest song about my favourite festival, having a pop at some of the never ending carping and moaning by some Punks who wish it was still 1983 and they had there heads stuck in a bag of glue again, Stoo's drum solo that leads into the bass solo is brilliant in it's anti punk stance, Drum solos on punk records whatever next.
A Mother's Milk is a cry of rage that sounds like the Dead Kennedys as Fiona rages against the inequities of the milk and meat industries, questions about what feminists should believe in, Stop animal cruelty and live a vegan life as anything else leads to more torture of cows just to produce the milk in your tea.
When The Lights Go Out has chugging riffs giving way to almost Indian interlude, Colin tries to find a sane way through the madness surrounding us all, why are we killing each other instead of saving the planet and living peacefully together, whatever you do see the politicians for the evil scheming murderers they are.
Statement Of Intent is a slow skanking rocker to encourage us all to organise and rise up and rebel against the system, don't let them bring you down, find a way to collaborate on creating a better planet to inhabit, they don't want revolution, just a more just society. This is an anthem for the mid 2020's with a great dub breakdown and perfect for some cool remixes.
A Message To Them is having a go at all the cunts who said he could do it, couldn't live exactly the life he wanted to, to remain independent and create a real society where everyone is welcome, no matter what you are, we are all part of the human race.
Inferno is a raging bonfire of rage for the inaction of the world leaders when it comes to tackling climate change, the wars they Start as distraction rather than taking action, who will they blame next.
The album closes with Concluded a piano led elegy on the bands endless search for freedom, what kind of destiny will man find in the future. The music fades out as Colin and Fiona's duel poetry concludes this album sounding like Edgar Allen Poe.
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