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New Model Army - Today Is A Good Day
Reviewed by Eddie Risdal in 10/9/2009
NEW MODEL ARMY aren't metal and therefore shouldn't normally appear in a review here at BTB, but I make an exception. This one, their latest album, is their 11th studioalbum since the band's debut "No Rest For The Wicked" (yes, they were three years earlier than Ozzy) in 1985.
Founded in Bradford, England in 1980, they were one of the first post-punk acts, together with The Clash, who gained respect and popularity, without compromising with their agenda of telling the people how unfair and corrupt the world was. Over the years their style have evolved from punkrock to more straight rock, without loosing their own sound.
You might, as I also first did, have heard one of their songs and not knowing it was a NEW MODEL ARMY song, as I know about two bands who have done cover versions of NMA songs. Sepultura did it with "The Hunt" on their 1993 album "Chaos A.D.", while Skyclad included "Master Race" on "Oui Avant-Garde A Chance" in 1996. So obviously it's more metal loving people than me who can find NMA interesting, and maybe you also will, if you dare?
"Today Is A Good Day" starts off with some news samples that you easily can connect to the global financial crisis which struck us in 2008, and to quote themselves I'd use the line "we told you so", from the song "I Love The World" from 20 years back. Justin Sullivan, lead vocalist and driving force, still has the burning passion to tell his listeners about all that's wrong in our community without trying to appear as a saviour, more like a news reporter or private investigator. The song is also the heaviest on the album, featuring massive guitars and double bass drums, a thing that is rarely heard from bands in other genres than metal. Through 12 tracks and more than 50 minutes they give us a varied musical journey from the heavy opener, via the ballad "God Save Me" and the more dreamy and massive "Ocean Rising" (a re-recording from Sullivan's first and so far only solo studio album "Navigating By The Stars") back to more catchy rock with "Mambo Queen Of The Sandstone City". It's not easy to describe them much more than that they play "rock with intelligence", so if you want to discover something refreshing and also get lyrics with a substance then look no further.
This new album is in my opinion their best effort since 1998's "Strange Brotherhood", so if you check out and like "Today Is A Good Day" you should listen to that one as well. If we look even further back you should get "The Love Of Hopeless Causes" (1993), "Thunder And Consolation" (1989) and "No Rest For The Wicked" (1985). Good luck!
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