06 Aug 2017 // A review by Paul Goddard
Music can be anything you want it to be. It can be throw away, whimsical, abrasive, calming and you can choose music to suit your mood or change your mood because music connects on an emotional level.
I'm all for creating music that gets people to think, that makes them want to act on what they are hearing. Let's face it the world is a little crazy right now, there is a lot of shit to get angry about and to be honest there aren't enough bands around at the moment writing about what they think is wrong, what makes them angry. We need more politically and socially motivated bands like Broken Season.
Broken Season are very clear on what they don't like. Brian Tamaki has been in their firing line previously and I am all for that! On
Amandla the focus is on people who are persecuted for the colour of their skin, the place they live, the people they hang around with. The video mixes footage from the recent Mandela movie and shootings by police in the USA on unarmed "suspects", Black Lives Matter marches and prison stats from America which are truly shocking.
Broken Season have a message and they want to get that message across, not in a subtle way. This song and accompanying lyric video is a blunt instrument, a call to arms. The video is also a little confusing.
Is it directed at the injustice and oppression of Apartheid, or is it about police brutality or racism or is it just about oppression? These are all things to get legitimately angry about.
The best protest songs have one clear target and one clear message. I think the song
Amandla itself is clear in its message but the images used in the video left me a little confused. I think the impact of the video would hit harder if the images had one focus, one direction for that anger and emotion to be channelled.
Broken Season have a sound that has clear influences and whilst they wear those influences on their sleeve there is a uniqueness that if developed could see the band really stand out. The way the lyrics are delivered was the first thing that stood out for me, the mix of heaviness with melody as the song progresses was another. The more they deviate from a formula the more interesting and powerful they will be.
I want people to hear Broken Season, I want people to get motivated and inspired at gigs, I want people to get angry and stop the apathy that has prevailed throughout society over the past decade. The people who want to be in control of this planet seem to be taking the rest of us in a very scary direction. Music can change a mood, it can be throw away, whimsical and emotional. It can also start a revolution or be the soundtrack to a revolution.