D.O.A. - Murder

(Restless Records 1990)

Reviewed by Null

What’s wrong Murder? Nothing.

People often criticize D.O.A.’s 1990 release as being prodding and slower than their other records. I will not deny that this is the case, however I rather enjoy it when bands break from their usual style and expand out a little bit (all rock music is so similar in structure that from an outsider’s view this may seem like a ridiculous statement). Still, I am tired of hearing people slag this great D.O.A. album. Sure, it may not be the greatest D.O.A. release; it may not have the quick tempo tracks that many have come to expect from the legendary Canadian punk rock band but it is a classic punk rock record.

It is true that many of the riffs are slower and more prodding -- think 70’s Aerosmith meets punk rock minus the cocaine and add a brain. The production is a little tinny as well. I picked this record up years ago after falling in love with the great collaboration between Jello Biafra & D.O.A.: the EP - Last Scream Of The Missing Neighbors (Alternative Tentacles 1989). Last Scream… showed a shift in D.O.A.’s sound. The guitars were much more “metal” sounding than on previous releases and the production was very thick…very full. Taking this into consideration it is easy to understand the shift in sound and style upon the release of Murder a year later.

Furthermore, the record is a classic punk rock record because of its heartfelt critique of economic and political systems. The album has several recurring themes including consumerism, imperialism and apartheid. “We Know What You Want” and “Guns, Booze, & Sex,” condemn the consumerism of an irrational economic system. “Boomtown” and “No Productivity” illustrate the results of an economic system in which human beings and entire communities descend into despair as a result of the “market:”

     well the jobs were there, but they ain't no more.
      now your starin' at a closed factory door.
      and the banker, he don't give a damn.
      he'd walk right over a dyin' man

“Banana Land” is a tragic and comedic portrait of deforestation and exploitation:

     welcome to our banana land,
     our representatives exploit the land.
     in the tradition of the father land.
     now there's a land up in the north
     where they work on both sides of the street
     paying workers just enough to live
     and nothin' when they're out of trees

In “African Security” Joey Shithead, in classic punk style, even complains about the stink of the military police and murder squads that regularly break into peoples homes, he “can’t get the smell out of the house!” I could go on and on. D.O.A. have always had great lyrics, although I am not familiar with all of D.O.A.’s work, the songs on this album show a great degree of sophistication. The lyrics I sighted do not do the album justice. It was upon listening to this album that I realized just how informed Joey Shithead is about the trends and results of an economic system that puts human welfare and development at the bottom of the “to do” list. When I was young, it helped me understand and investigate some of the processes inherent in capitalism. It taught me things and pushed me forward and it rocked me the fuck out. Can we ask more of a great punk rock record?

These are only some of the reasons that Murder is a bona fide punk rock classic!Unfortunately, Murder is currently out of print, however, a used copy can be obtained if one seeks it out. Murder also contains the best version of “The Midnight Special” I have ever heard, complete with rattling machine gun fire and a sound bite from Nelson Mandela.