For those who are unsure what a kleptocracy is, it is defined as a society whose leaders make themselves rich and powerful by stealing from the rest of the people. This may strike a chord with you, especially with the occurrences in recent times. PPE contract, anyone?
This should give you an idea of the overall direction of travel of Kleptocracy. Ferocious Dog describe it as an album that delves into themes of societal injustices and the enduring struggle against exploitation, echoing their commitment to shedding light on the issues plaguing Broken Britain and our world today. The band don’t just focus on the challenges we face in modern times but also on historical events that have helped shape the world as we know it today. Sometimes, to move forward you need to take inspiration from the changemakers of the past.
Following on from their 2021 album, The Hope, Kleptocracy sees a further evolution of their music. Whilst labelled as a folk-punk band, that doesn’t really cover it. Sure, it is a convenient label, but they draw from other genres too. This album sees them present some full-on hardcore punk, a bit of hard rock, a smattering of blues and numerous folk influences from around the globe. So does the new album savage you, or does it just show its teeth and growl before heading off with its tail between its legs?
This 12-track album kicks off in smart style and sets the tone well with ‘Witch Hunt’. It tells a classic tale of people attacking those who are different, fearful of their power and what they do not comprehend. A full-on Ferocious Dog romp, it reminded me of the late Mensi, lead singer of Angelic Upstarts, as he sang, “The law of animals/Destroy what you don’t understand” in the 1981 song ‘I Understand’.
Lead singer Ken Bonsall’s claws get a real sharpening in the superbly anthemic track ‘Sus Laws’. Ferocious Dog combine the lessons of history and apply them to the present day. The “sus law” (suspected person) was a stop-and-search law. It permitted a police officer to stop, search and arrest people on suspicion of them being in breach of the Vagrancy Act 1824. Two witnesses were required to substantiate the charge, which were usually two police officers patrolling together. This was abused and certain sections of society were targeted.
“More blacks, more dogs, more Irish/It should be written ten feet tall/In this land of hope and glory/They should be welcomed by us all”, proclaims Bonsall in a nod to the old signs which decorated many windows of public houses, shops, rental properties, and guest houses, demonstrating how unwelcome those from overseas were by some sections of society. Nick Wragg and Luke Grainger hold the track together with the bubbling bass and rolling drum beat while Bonsall hits home with his sharp lyrics. A guaranteed live favourite, in my opinion.
The current Government take a kicking next with the album’s title track. A classic slice of Ferocious Dog folk-punk, it sounds like someone shoved The Levellers and Stiff Little Fingers in a blender and then sprinkled in a bit of the old Nottinghamshire magic to take it up a notch. “A symphony of privilege of wealth and of deceit/As they all strive to enrich themselves the common folk they cheat”, Bonsall spits angrily, showing his contempt for the current rulers in sat in Westminster, putting themselves before their electorate.
‘Iron Mike Malloy’ is a great, energetic Irish folk-influenced frolic telling the sad tale of a man from County Donegal living in New York who had fallen on hard times during the great depression. You may have seen this true story featured on BBC’s ‘Qi’ not too long ago. In 1933, five of Malloy’s acquaintances took out life insurance policies on Malloy to make a quick and handsome payout. Their plan – ply Malloy with free booze until he dies. It wasn’t as straightforward as Malloy seemed obstinate, refusing to comply.
I won’t go into the full story (I must leave some surprises for you) as the song does that in detail, but the tale is truly astonishing. If the band play this one live, I hope they have sufficient oxygen on standby as the song comes at you at an alarming rate.
If you want to crank it up further and increase the intensity to ‘insane’, then ‘Merthyr Rising’ does just that… and then some. Machine-gun vocal delivery from Bonsall with a polka-infused melody, this song is another historical example of the working classes saying, “enough is enough”.
Interesting fact – The Rising at Merthyr marked the first time the red flag was used as a symbol of working-class rebellion in the United Kingdom. There’s one for the quiz night at the Spam and Womble.
After being pummelled for five straight tracks, we get the chance for a breather. ‘A Place We Call Home’ is a gentle ballad which reminds me of a blend of The Men They Couldn’t Hang and Oysterband. “We’ll dream of a place where we rest our heads/In a cardboard box city where love conquers dread/But until that day comes, we’ll roam the unknown/Facing struggles together with love that has grown”, croons Bonsall before being ably joined by Lizzey Joy Ross on vocal duties.
Although dealing with a difficult issue, ‘Blood Soaked Shores’ is presented in a positive way, both lyrically and musically. “But why do we fight in these futile wars/When all that we reap are blood soaked shores/The folly of man his ego and pride/Lead us to destruction with nowhere to hide”, postulates Bonsall from a position of experience after his son, Lee, sadly took his own life after serving in Afghanistan. The song expounds a desire to stop the senseless loss of life through armed conflict.
Who’s up for a round of full-on hardcore punk? Guitarist Kyle Peters gives Bonsall a rest and undertakes vocal duties on ‘Darker Side Of Town’. A proper punk riff scorches along throughout as Jamie Burney’s violin adds an unnerving feel to this already dark song.
‘Matty Groves’ is a traditional folk song, given the Ferocious Dog treatment. With a rampant, rousing drumbeat throughout courtesy of Luke Grainger, the song dates to the early 1600s and tells the saga of a clandestine encounter between a young man and a noblewoman which is terminated when the noblewoman’s husband discovers their shenanigans and decides to kill them both. Oh, such larks they had in the 17th century!
To prove it’s not all fierce folk-punk with Ferocious Dog, ‘Running With The Hounds’ delivers a very catchy tune, with beautiful strings from Sam Wood and Jamie Burney which make this song sound a little like The Dead South at their finest. It provides respite before the assault from the album’s last two tracks.
I think most people know the story of ‘Moby Dick’. The monomaniacal Captain Ahab and all that tomfoolery. The story is often cited as an allegorical tale of man trying to master nature, or man’s crazed desire to succeed and dominate at any cost in the pursuit of glory. However you interpret Herman Melville’s story, you will enjoy this musical presentation of it. Set to the melody of the beautiful Ukrainian folk song ‘Tsyhanochka’ (My Gypsy Girl), it gives the track a real sea-shanty feel to it. You could imagine Queequeg, Starbuck, Perth et al singing along to this on the Pequod.
The final track on Kleptocracy is an explosion of unadulterated punk. At just 81 seconds long, ‘Anger On The Streets’ is a condensed barrage of fury and ferocity. “Anger on the streets resentment in their eyes/The weight of oppression, the truth they can’t disguise/Equality is silenced breeding seeds of wrath/Anger on the streets paves a righteous path”, shrieks Bonsall, venting more bile than is strictly healthy. The biggest compliment I can give this song is it reminds me of Edinburgh’s finest, The Exploited, with Bonsall doing his best Wattie Buchan impersonation. Sorry Ken, you’re very good but there’s only one Wattie! A superb way to finish the album, it sends you off fired up and ready to fight for equality, justice, and honesty.
If you buy the deluxe CD version of the album, you get an additional four tracks for your audio pleasure. The best of these is ‘Protest Singer Blues’, closely followed by ‘Brixton’s Burning’. Channelling his inner Woody Guthrie, who has inspired so many musicians for almost 90 years, Bonsall issues a rallying call in ‘Protest Singer Blues’. “So, join me in this struggle let’s raise our voices high/For a world that’s fair and just where the truth will never die/In the face of oppression we’ll stand together strong/With guitars and voices our protest will live on”, he declares as he follows in the footsteps of Guthrie, Seeger, Ochs, Dylan and Bragg to name but a few.
‘Brixton’s Burning’ takes us back to 1981 and the Brixton riots – yet another incident stoked by the ongoing use of sus laws. The Thatcher government ordered an inquiry, led by Lord Scarman. He found unquestionable evidence of the disproportionate and indiscriminate use of ‘stop and search’ powers by the police against black people – an issue still prominent today.
To paraphrase Billy Bragg from his song ‘Waiting for the Great Leap Forward’, what’s the point of mixing pop and politics? Well, as Ferocious Dog have wonderfully displayed with Kleptocracy, there is every point. By shining a light on both historical and present-day issues, you can draw a line through the struggles faced by many people throughout the ages and their relevance to today’s society and political landscape. Folk music was always a way of keeping stories alive so future generations could learn and understand from them. Ferocious Dog act as a conduit for the injustices of the past and as an orator to focus on the inequalities, corruption and prejudices faced by people today.
Kleptocracy builds on the success of The Hope, mixing the band’s irresistible and dynamic live sound with a tight, punchy, and more refined feel. I do not doubt that the loyal fans of the band, the Hell Hounds, will love this album. It ticks a lot of boxes and creates a few new ones too. It’s angry, vociferous, boisterous, relevant, vital, reflective, emotional, melodic, embracing and unifying. That’s a lot to pack into around 41 minutes, but somehow, they’ve achieved it.
Clearly, Ferocious Dog still have an aggressive bark and a vicious bite. But don’t worry, you’ll be perfectly safe… unless you are a Tory.
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