By: Jesse Striewski
In a time where punk music has really lost its edge (and I’ve personally lost much interest in it) and has really just become nothing more than another type of conformity itself across the board, the world really needed something new from the likes of a band such as FEAR.
Their first “true” album of new music since 2000’s American Beer (not including re-recordings and/or comps), there’s not a single “dud” to be found on For Right and Order (typically there might be at least one or two skip-able tracks on later releases of theirs).
The minute “I’m Back and I’m Bitching” kicks off the album, it’s clear that Lee Ving and company have returned to form. It’s hard to decide on just one favorite track here, with titles like “100 Downers,” “Manhunt,” “Homicide,” and “Nobody Hears You.”
There’s even a cover of Rose Tattoo’s “Nice Boys (Don’t Play Rock and Roll),” and Ving digs into his best country with album closer “I Like Beer.” But I’ve always loved Ving most when he puts on his thinking cap and gets serious, and there’s no better example of that here than the epic title track, which I find myself going back to time and time again.
Every track here fits in its own right, and there’s rarely a weak moment. No doubt the material found here fits easily alongside past releases; this is FEAR at their absolute best, on top of their game and right where the world needs them, when it needs them the most.
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
I wouldn’t really call it an album of “new music”. There are only a couple of “new” tracks on here. A whole load of them are revisitations of some of their old 70s demos.
It’s a decent album. Longtime fans will recognize that this album follows the same pattern as the two previous ones (Have Another Beer with FEAR and American Beer): fresh studio versions of older songs, some for the first time, along with some new stuff that’s iffy.
“I’m Back,” “100 Downers,” and “Little Girls” were all part of the Paradise Studio demos and featured Derf, Philo, and Lee on vocals. “Do Me Some Damage” was recorded in demo form 40 years ago and was a live staple through the 1980s, while “Homicide” (formerly known as “Homocide”) and “Til You Die” were played live and are nearly impossible to find. Lastly, “I Like Beer” is a reworking of the awesome “Hank Williams was Queer” and it is most definitely not awesome.
Moving on to the new material, “I Am an Engineer” is the dull little brother to “I Am a Doctor.” “Nice Boys” is a cover of the Rose Tattoo classic. I like the effort but a three chord rocker is not the best fit for what FEAR does. “Manhunt” sounds like a 1980s hard rock/metal song and it works well with this version of FEAR that doesn’t sound like FEAR. “She’s a Leech” comes pretty close to sounding like classic FEAR, closer than anything else on this album. Not the greatest song but you can’t win ’em all. “Nobody Hears You” and the title track are fine, especially when compared to the new material on the last album 20+ years ago.
The playing is tight and energetic. Lee’s voice isn’t what it used to be but he can still get it done – just not quite as well as he did years ago. The main drawback here is the same as on the 2 previous albums: no Philo Cramer and it really, REALLY hurts. Listen to live versions of songs w/Philo and compare them to the studio versions recorded without him. The latter sound like demos; Cramer is a big part of FEAR’s sound.
Thankfully this album didn’t fall into the same trap as the last two. We get the joke! You like beer! Aside from the lack of Philo, the other big drawback is… a kinder, gentler Lee Ving. Some of the lyrics are more PC than they were originally. The wit is gone and he steers away from the things he’d dive right into 25 years ago. Maybe he’s grown mellow in his 70+ years or just wanted to go in a different direction. Your guess is as good as mine.
There are good songs here even if the execution falls short. Your mileage likely depends on what you’re looking for. If you want something in the vein of The Record or More Beer, you may not be impressed. If you are looking for a step up from Have Another Beer and American Beer, you’ll probably like this. As a FEAR album, it misses the mark for me. As a Ling Ving and friends album, it’s not bad.