From Honolulu, Hawaii, The Granite Saints are, according to their biog, “a three chord homage to the bands of their youth.” They are snotty-nosed punks with the attitude of them against the world. They talk and walk their way and anyone who doesn’t like it can just get out of their way.
Forged in the fires of 2013, they are made up of Lonesome James on rhythm guitar/lead vocals, Andrew on bass/backup vocals, Shane Taylor on lead/rhythm guitars and Chad Taylor on drums. They released a self titled EP in 2017, with some awesome beefy riffing on tunes like “Juju Mama” and “Run The Night.” However, 2018 saw them really open up the Pandora’s Box of punk rocking music with Red, White & Screwed.
THE GRANITE SAINTS – “Judgement Day“
The sound of pure Punk Rock comes with The Granite Saints‘ latest album. They light the fire of opposition and burn the vinyl down to the ground. They swagger with a fire that is born of frustration and crank out genuine Punk that makes the ground shake. You can feel the rage of injustice sizzling through the grooves of this record.
Make no mistake, the band are fueled by the oppression being felt across the world. They don’t want to take it anymore, as goes the song. They are boldly preaching a message of democracy, humanity and rejection of the established order.
The record blasts and pushes with a three chord symphony. The conductor is James and his orchestra are the musical muscle behind the slashing punk tunes. There is no Blink-182 pop, just pure honest punk like The Clash in their pomp. The first two songs are the lead singles of “Police Cars” and “The Real Enemy“. They speed by and then “Judgement Day” goes into a mid-tempo anthem with its “Angel of death wants to ride with me” refrain.
There are some more reflective moments with the banjo-twang of “The Reason Why” and the brooding of “No Redemption” adding a diversity to the record. These are two of the best songs of the record and show why these guys are a talented unit.
Final Judgement?
This is a real rock record, created to vent artistic vision and to express the anger that many feel across the world at injustice and corruption. Give the Saints a listen and try to leave the sins behind. Great album!
Read more articles by Adam Cox.
