BANG THE UNION

Well, it’s better start off the year with a bang than with a whimper, right? Sure is, Jack. Bang the Union are an awkwardly-named-yet-fully-stoked Atlanta boogie metal band in the Budweiser-soaked vein of American Dog, the Four Horsemen, and (of course) Skynrd. S’funny, I just finished watchin’ Triumph live at the ’83 US fest on TV- not on purpose, but whatever- and here I am, tits-deep in a similar ‘white pants, honcho mustache, point at the crowd and wink’ kinda thunder. This is further proof of something, I just dunno what. At any rate, BTU rock plenty, man, with lotsa hard-working, hard-drinking, AC/DC’d blue-collar anthems like “Tongue Tied”, the blistering sawdust swagger rock of “American Dream”, and the corn-fed flash metal of “Useless”, complete with mullet-baiting lines like “I’m sick of your 9-5 bullshit/and I’m not takin’ no more/Say you want it, ya need it/ But I’m not your whore”. Ok, so “Why We Fight So Much” is an EXACT cop of The Four Horsemen’s “Nobody Said it was Easy”, but shit like that is welcome ‘round these parts, and best of all, you can search all day for a pussy ballad, and ya ain’t gonna find one here, man. I like these cats. I bet they can’t get through one night of drinkin’ tall boys down at the local dive without jumping on stage to bash out a few ragged Seger covers, making out with at least a couple of the waitresses, and breaking a pool cue over some fucker’s head. And if that ain’t the American Dream, I dunno what is.

- SLEAZEGRINDER.COM

Bang The Union is about as straight forward Rock N Roll as it gets, When I first heard BTU it was over the phone, FastLane Records owner Shawn C. Lane called me and said "Are you setting down? Because this is going to kick your ass"! And it's a good thing I was. From the opening riff I knew this was something special. BTU hails from the southern state of Georgia and they could care less about trends, fads or who's on the charts at VH1. You won't need a thesaurus or set of encyclopedias to figure out BTU was influenced by the best...AC/DC!!! there are hints of Buckcherry ,Rhino Bucket and the Cult that just adds flavor. But this is the kinda music you put in while driving and let rip!! I can't see a fan of AC/DC not liking this, because it's that good. BTU keep the bluesy Rock Riff music alive and play it like they mean it. Keep your eye's and ears open for this release from FastLane because you won't regret it. You'll thank me later.....I promise.
"Gone Again" , "On My Side" & "Why We Fight So Much" Are my standouts with "Useless" & "This Is Rock And Roll" right in the mix.
4 1/2 outta 5 Highways To Hell!
Review by The All American Dream Kman!!!!

- CD SMASH

Take the warm tones of Malcom Young, the playful riffing of Rhino Bucket, minus the ferocity of AC/DC's darkest riffs and add a glam undertone and you have part hard middle-of the-roaders Bang the Union. Less arena riff rock and more club/concert theater fare, BTU is a smallish sounding package, yet a tightly wound one ("The stick is tight the blood is hot!" - Krokus). The band begins, rests and ends on little, shifty, slippery riffs that borrow heavly from AC/DC while twiddling a KISS-ism here and there. Perhaps a pinch thicker sounding than KIX and Rhino Bucket though with slightly glammed up Bon Scott lead vox and you really have an exact aural picture...or sound byte...well, you know what I mean. Then again, how would I know? Basically, the band is so transparently having bare bones rock 'n' roll joy it is nearly impossible not to describe them to a tee. Most of the material is playful, energetic party rock with infectious rhythms, though the real zingers come in the form of the brooding "Hang'em High" and the one true all out anthem and arguably best track "This Is Rock 'n' Roll"! Yep, sweet intro, chills and all, followed by a dashing beat and ear-to-ear grin of a chorus. A fine tuned, honest and fun record for the pure hard rocker. --Brian Coles (3 !/2 Stars) - Electric Basement (Electric Basement.com)

BANG THE UNION - "American Dream" - FASTLANE RECORDS Bang The Union appeals to our most primal rock n' roll urges. It's raw, gritty, down and dirty with no apologies. Sure, I can hear the critics already crying "another AC/DC clone", but if you like the style, you've been waiting a long time for new blood like this. In reality, they have more of a Southern Rock touch to the music which makes them closer to Dirty Looks or The Four Horsemen. But ENOUGH about that bullshit, bottom line this album kicks ass and is as strong as any of the so called AC/DC clones have ever put out!
There's not really a weak track on this album, "Gone Again" is just a kick-ass drinkin' song. "On My Side", "Ten Years To Life" and "Addiction" deal with the harder side of life and if you have a past of wild living like myself, you can totally realate to these tunes. Where the band separates themselves from band in this vein is the track "Why We Fight So Much", a slick Southern-fried cut that actually tugs at the heart-strings... just a little.
Personally, I can't get enough of this music, it's timeless, as AC/DC has proven time and time again, and there's PLENTY of room for bands like Bang The Union. You could put this in at any keg party in the country and people would be rockin'. You've heard it before, but it never get's old, and thank God there's guys like this that "get it" and have kept the spirt of rock n' roll alive.

- (http://www.rockhardplace.com)

First and foremost, rock and roll has to be fun. It’s like the first commandment of rock and roll. Yes rock and roll can help to change the world (a debatable point I am sure) but if it’s not fun it’s almost pointless. How many people go to a rock concert to engage in a debate about the human condition? Anybody? I didn’t think so. We listen to rock and roll because it puts us in a time and place that is pure and plain fun. Bang the Union will put you in that place. Although they have been compared to Bon Scott era AC/DC, in my mind Bang the Union are pure “balls to the walls” hard rockin’ rock ‘n roll with big loud guitars screaming out of Marshall stacks, cigarettes perched precariously on the headstock of a Gibson Les Paul or Fender Strat while the bass and drums hold down the back end with a gritty, shuffling boogie woogie rock and roll rhythm beat that never lets up. Hailing from the state of Georgia (the one in the USA), Bang the Union are a welcome reprieve from one too many listens to the same Bad Company song played on the local classic rock and roll radio station. No nonsense rock and roll played to maximum volume, that is what Bang the Union are all about and that is what they deliver. Currently in the midst of planning a major tour, you will have no choice but to have a good time when Bang the Union come to town. It’s a given. Look out for their new album American Dreamcoming out this month.
Later.
- www.rockandrollreport.com