Youd think 12 line-up changes in a few short months would cause anyone to throw in the towel. Not Dave Zegarac. The Winnipeg punk stalwart finally nailed down a solid roster of players for the recording of Destruction Sound System, one of the best punk albums to come out of Winnipeg, or anywhere for that matter, in years. Unfortunately, the line-up didn't last but the recordings are solid. Destruction Sound System features Zegaracs trademark politically-charged lyrics, but this time around, hes managed to combine his left-wing rhetoric with impeccable pop hooks, making old standbys like "Fun rock harder and stick in your head for longer than ever before. The Brat Attack, combining Zegaracs well-known vocal sneer with a collection of female voices on this record, have made an intensely political album with incredibly wide appeal to all ages; sort of like a Good Charlotte for the berets n beards set. With lyrics dealing with racism, sexism, anarchism and close-to-home topics like the institutionalised racism of Winnipegs Aboriginal community ("Red Streets), Zegarac and company have created a pop-punk political primer. Although Destruction Sound System's production values are far superior to Zegaracs cassette releases in the 90s, it still retains the energy and idealism that helped him define Winnipegs pop punk sound. With distribution from American label Longshot, the Brat Attack seems poised to start a revolution of their own.
(Steel Capped)Brat Attack
Destruction Sound System
BY Sam ThompsonPublished Apr 1, 2004