Review by Doug Cornell

My history with punk rock began with the Ramones way back when they released their first record.  Of course, I didn't get it at the time.  It took a few years of digesting Elvis Costello and Patti Smith before I could appreciate the simple honesty of basic 4/4 punk music.  The best punk band in history was the Clash, and London Calling is one of the best ten rock albums ever recorded. 

For the last 20 years, I've kept my ears open to new punk sounds.  The LA scene never really caught my attention, but I'll admit to admiring AFI, Blink 182, Pennywise, Rancid, and Bad Religion. 

Which brings us to Heideroosjes.  This hard-rocking punk outfit hails from the Netherlands, and it's always fun hearing new music from countries that are unknown in the US.  Heideroosjes sing half of their tunes in their native Dutch tongue, the rest in English.  The music is pure punk - loud walls of electric guitars, anthemic choruses, and angry lyrics.  Sinema doesn't skimp on the melodies, and it's a lot of fun singing along in Dutch.  Infectious choruses infuse  "Damclub Hooligan," "Euronoise," and "Mamelodi Melodies."  Musically, the band sounds like Rancid without the ska, or Blink without the pop.  The guitars are given plenty of breathing room, as demonstrated with the hard-rocking "De Portier" or the almost-metal "We All Share the Same Sun," which features a spoken voice of George W.

IWhen you're in need of some quick energy, put the "Dan Breekt De Hel Los!" (with it's bleep-bleepy sound and guitar perfection) in your MP3 player and go outside for some fresh air.