A Couple Of Great FIGHTING CHANCE Reviews...

[IRmod]

Here's a couple of nice reviews of the latest Fighting Chance www.fightingchancemd.com CD and 7" from the December 2004 issue of Maximum RocknRoll:

FIGHTING CHANCE
Sacrifice And Struggle CD/LP

Second blistering hardcore full-length from this Baltimore powerhouse. They back up the raging twin axe thrash and chug with some suitably ferocious, intelligent anti-fascist lyrics. Nice to have some H/C with a brain, as well as a heart (and pointy finger). Not to mention some royal guitar solos. Insurgence is a great Canadian label dedicated to putting out lefty, anti-fascist skinhead and hardcore bands. And they do it well. (RK)




Fighting Chance
Party Lies 3-Song 7"

It doesn't take too many lyrics to cipher out what the FIGHTING CHANCE are railing about! On side "A" these Baltimore, Maryland USA leftist street punks. The title song "Party Lies" has some scathing criticism for the government. Read these lyrics: "On election day, vote for Scumbag A or Scumbag B / Neither could give a damn about the working class.../ Two parties for the rich and none for the poor" Fuck yes! FIGHTING CHANCE power through two more top quality street punk/Oi! numbers "Blamed" and "The System". FIGHTING CHANCE has a full length LP available on Insurgence Records called Sacrifice & Struggle, which is equally stimulating. FIGHTING CHANCE are a welcome addition to the Insurgence skinhead and punk contingent. Get your FIGHTING CHANCE product as soon as possible! (BR)

[Miljan]

If you understand Croatian (ex-Yugoslavia) language :
www.backpackrock.com/fightingchance_rec.htm

[chipheadwound]

Reviews from Headwound # 17, out very soon...

FIGHTING CHANCE ‘Sacrifice And Struggle’ CD/LP
Fighting Chance did a beast of a first album that was one of the standout political streetpunk releases of recent years, hence I interviewed them in our last issue. They’ve started to label themselves ‘street-rock’, and as that suggests, they’ve moved away from the more anthemic streetpunk sound of the first album, incorporated greater variety into their sound, and polished it up a bit. This album takes a bit more listening to get into it, but, needless to say, it’s a fucking winner. The production seems sharper and the overall impression is that this is a hardcore record rather than Oi!, with more chugging guitars and Bullseye’s vocals if anything more intense than before – the guy is really fucking pissed off! There’s plenty innovation in here, and the acoustic intro and ska outro on the last track, for example, show them taking a broader approach with their musical influences. The working-class anti-fascist politics are still worn proudly on their sleeves but as with the music, they’ve evolved away from the more sloganeering approach of ‘Thus Hope Fades’, and you get the sense that Fighting Chance have matured and become a more distinctive band for it. Crucial stuff! From Insurgence Records or check out www.fightingchancemd.com 5/5

FIGHTING CHANCE ‘Party Lies’ EP
This is three of their older tracks that the label have put out on a nice red vinyl limited release. As I understand it, these were recorded quite a while ago, and having heard the version of their debut album track ‘Coward’s Pride’ on an Insurgence compilation, I’d guess they were also done before the first CD? They’re certainly more like standard Oi! than what they’re producing these days, quite a lot slower and less intense, without the HC influence. Lyrically, you still can’t fault them, and the anti-politician title track is spot-on, but the production seems more like a demo, and I’d advise getting the two CDs before you consider tracking this down. It’d be a bloody good release from most Oi! bands, but Fighting Chance piss all over your average streetpunk band these days, and three new songs would have been more of a treat. From Insurgence Records 3/5

More of the same for three dollars post-paid from Headwound, c/o 145-149 Cardigan Road, Leeds, LS6 1LJ, England. There's even an Insurgence interview in it. Printing in mid-January

[IRmod]

Another nice one, courtesy of Bystander Fanzine:

www.bystanderfanzine.com

Fighting Chance – Sacrifice and Struggle (Insurgence Records)

On my first listen to Fighting Chance I knew I would like the band. They’re a punk/hardcore band from Baltimore. Their blend of punk rhythms and well written breakdowns are a good change of pace to most of the chugga chugga I’ve been listening to lately. The leads fit well in the songs and don’t sound awkward like a lot of bands that I’ve heard. Most of the lyrics focus on political issues but they avoid cliché’s like smash the state etc. so the songs still sound fresh instead of rehashed.

Fighting Chance has another full length and a 7” EP on Insurgence that I have yet to hear but I definitely be checking them out in the future. This album should appeal to anyone who even remotely likes either punk or hardcore. They’ll be playing at the Hudson Duster in Troy, NY in April (with No Redeeming Social Value and Slumlords) and if you’re in the area I suggest you come out, I know I’ll be there.

Final Decision: Strongly Recommend