Artist: Baraka Face Junta
Title: Test Systemu
Release: LP / Digital
Year: 2021
Label: Nikt Nic Nie Wie
It’s all too easy to overlook rough gemstones lurking in the veiled corners of the international punk underground. For example, bands like Baraka Face Junta from the Baltic port city of Kołobrzeg, Poland, whose combination of melody and political noise is guaranteed to bring back memories of those early days of peace-punk in the style of early Chumbawamba, The Cravats, and Crass.
Released at the tail end of 2021, Test Systemu is the third Baraka Face Junta album since 2009. Baraka’s music is as angry, melodic and political as it’s ever been, though they added a saxophone section that adds some avant-garde flavors to their music. In the typical ‘80s anarcho/peace-punk tradition, their presentation relies heavily on poetic lyrics to introduce their political viewpoints to the world. The music is characterized by classic peace-punk drumming, simple guitar chugs, pulsating bass, and Polish lyrics sung by a dual vocal combo. The melodic female vocals remind of great Polish bands like El Banda, Post Regiment, and Pogotowie Seksualne, while the male vocals sound more like Steve Ignorant in the Crass fame.
The saxophone adds a nice melodic feel to the songs, and I think its presence on Test Systemu makes it their best album to date. The record sounds fresh and original, though “originality” in anarchopunk doesn’t mean some great musicianship or innovative approach to their music; it’s simply a means to get their message across in the most simplistic but effective way. I’m sure this album is a big deal for the older generation of Polish punks and it’s no surprise it’s being released by the famous Nikt Nic Nie Wie (NNNW) label. Even if you don’t speak Polish, you can read the English translations and enjoy some good ol’ Polish punk.
