Every instrumental part is combined perfectly on '10,000 Shots' to produce a highly desirable and easily listenable sound and, whilst a few tracks return quite heavily to their Highland bases, leaving the punk rock somewhat behind, such as in 'The Catalpa' with its typical ballad tune, there are many memorable moments that one cannot help but return to play after play. It’s the song that Fat Wreck uses to market the band and it isn’t hard to see why: energy and playful swagger are to be found aplenty.
Opening track of thirteen, 'Smokin’ Bowl', sets the standard for what is to come on the record. It is this inspiration, along with lead singer McKenzie’s rasping voice that completes the band and helps set '10,000 Shots' as the archetypal Scottish punk rock album. One can indeed see why this label has finally picked up on this band as there is a real margin of progression from earlier material which had a tendency to sound wayward yet had moments of true inspiration which are still to be found on '10,000 Shots'. The Real McKenzies now release their fifth album but the first on their new label Fat Wreck. The inclusion of the traditional instruments is certainly the starting point but The Real McKenzies go further: their act is entertainingly based upon that very Highland dress that McKenzie revolted against, the very kilt, stockings and sporran that are synonymously attached to Scotland no matter where one goes. They’ve been around since frontman Paul McKenzie started the band in 1994 as a form of humorous revenge for the constituent parts of his childhood that involved being forced into wearing a kilt and dancing to Scottish traditional music: who says punk rock has lost its rebellious nature? Yet, as with their Irish-influenced counterparts, Flogging Molly, there is undoubtedly much to take from their roots. The Real McKenzies consists of Paul McKenzie (vocals) Dirty Kurt (guitar) Bone (guitar) Matthew McNasty (bagpipes) Sean (war drums) and Little Joe (bass), all names that fit with the band’s individual style of music and approach to life.ĭon’t be fooled into thinking that The Real McKenzies are a new band. Amongst the wealth of Irish-influenced punk rock bands that are already established or emerging, one might easily see The Real McKenzies fitting neatly into that category if it were not for the distinct sound of the bagpipes that draws us rightly towards the Scottish Highlands rather than the Emerald Isle.
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