- Home
- album reviews
- The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing
The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing
This may be the reason why The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, Cannot be killed by conventional Weapons.
Feature Photo by – Lex Machina Reviewed by – The Snuff MonkeyMost people think that punk started in the late 1970’s, but here’s a little secret, it really all started around the late 1870’s with The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing. Who were making headlines and shaking up the establishment. The only reference of the bands existence from this time (Though there is a rumour that an amalgamation band’s name TMTWNBBFN have been discovered in hieroglyphic graffiti somewhere inside the Great Pyramid of Giza – but this is yet to be confirmed!) was a chalked up bit of Graffiti left by an avid fan and this too may never have travelled down to us through history, had it not been written on the very wall where a piece of blooded stained apron was found and thought to have been left by the notorious Jack the Ripper.
Possibly not wanting the association with Jack and the bad press that would no doubt come with it the band mysteriously vanished.
That is until over a century later in 2008 when the band began appearing on stages once again as a double act between alternative stand up comedian Andrew O’Neill and Andy Heintz, former vocalist of grunge goths Creaming Jesus. Later they were to be joined by another stand up Comedian Marc Burrows on Bass and Ben Dawson on drums. In 2010 they released their highly acclaimed debut album, “Now that’s What I Call Steampunk! Volume 1”. However due to a threat of legal action from EMI for copyright infringement, the band changed the title to – The Steampunk Album That Cannot Be Named for Legal Reasons.
At the end of 2010 they followed the album up with a festive EP, entitled “A very Steampunk Christmas” with former drummer of Lords of the New Church and Showgirls’ Jezz Miller, taking up the skins in place of Ben Dawson.
It becomes clear that The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing are no ordinary band, they write songs of a Victorian age, only their history isn’t always our history !! They play a riotous Steampunk fusion of Victorian Punk / Metal & Cockney Knees up – unsettling us with dark Victorian tales whilst at the same time humouring us with their witty view of History. So now it’s 2012 and the 2nd album has finally graced us, and we have a clue as to how they pulled of the impressive Time Leap from 1870’s to 2008, for we are given an introduction from no other than Sylvester McCoy the 7th Timelord or Dr-Who to be precise. For it is Mr McCoy, who warns us ‘If we don’t stop them now they will rewrite history, all history one song at a time‘
Victoria’s Secret follows with a tale of alternative history where Queen Victoria brings back her Albert with voodoo , only to discover that he’s become a zombie !! Backed with storming metal riffs (think Motorhead / Sabath) this track leads into the dark humour of the band, with a chorus you can’t help chanting through your head hours later. Margate FHTAGN begins with good old Cockney knees up jingle about the joys of leaving the factory work behind and heading off to the coast for a summer holiday – all very jolly until you are thrown 180 and hit with a doom metal style chorus, as Cthullu is summoned. The song swaps between the two different styles brilliantly throughout the track. Ending with an infectious ditty as Andy sings “Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we met Cthulu, we played on the sand and got rid of Nan it couldn’t have been better planned!” .Doing it for the Whigs Gives us a classic punk anthem at its finest, drawing on the history of the Whigs and their contesting of the Tories, we are
reminded that over a hundred years on nothing changes the Tories are still hated as Andrew and Andy chant “No Future in Tory Politics!” Brilliant stuff and should be blasted out of every window across the UK. The peoples common sense medical adviser, is a cautionary song of the perils of Masturbation, that reminds us of Ivor Biggun, brought up to date with better Humour.
Free Spirit (Live) Delivers us another cockney knees up, so live you can almost taste the warm beers and stale smoke of a Victorian drinking den.
Brunel and A real Dead Ringer for Albert ,Give us more great punky tune with Brunel opening up with a powerful Dead Kennedy’s style riff, we are taken on a short history lesson of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
The Great Stink , reminds us that London was once not a very healthy place to live and “Whilst the rich have run away, the poor are made to stay!” again we are given power guitar riffs and rolling bass.
In Tesla Coil , we are treated to a tale of Chastity with the aid of a Nikola Tesla inventions, a strong metal melody that catches you and hooks you in with its humorous lyrics.
With Mutiny in the Commons Soldiery , opens up with a classical guitar before kicking into churning rock riff with Andy on the Musical saw. Telling the story of a soldier questioning his roll and finding he has more in common with his enemy than the authorities giving him orders to kill. Powerful stuff – and the shows that The Men…… have a serious side to them.
Poor Georgie Is an acoustic track with Andy, again on the musical saw, as we learn the poor fate of Georgie and the art of Taxidermy. All in all this a brilliant follow up to The Men’s, first album it proves that comedy and music collaboration do work when the ingredients are right, and that they certainly have. The Album fuses punk – metal and cockney knees up with some songs bordering on pure genius. It is a serious album with plenty of humour and interesting little historical facts, The Men are a serious band with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks.
