Grail Guard – Still No Future
(TNS Records)
LP | CD | DL
Out 6 March 2026 – Pre-orders live
The debut album from Grail Guard brings the 1970s punk rock cry of No Future crashing up to date. Whose Street? Right up Nathan Brown’s street.
5 decades on from when the Sex Pistols were proclaiming No Future, things are no better than they were back then. In many respects they are a damn sight worse. Grail Guard make a strong argument on their debut album that there is Still No Future:
“In 2026 UK punk will be celebrating 50 years. In 1976 the far right were growing strong. Politics was full of corruption. News papers spread lies and hate. Riots were common as huge sections of society felt marginalised and forgotten. The political and social background of 2026 share many common features with the 1970s. Again we see the rise of the far right – but now more organised than ever, with huge global backers such as Trump and Musk and algorithms that promote and monetise far right content. Fingers of blame pointing towards foreigners stoking fear. Corrupt politicians lying and protecting their own. Cost of living crisis that highlights the rich getting richer; more billionaires than at any point in history; and the poor getting poorer.”
The album kicks off with the boisterous punk attack of new single People Just Like You – recently given some air play by Neil Crud on his Louder Than War radio show. The shouty two fingered obnoxious singing with yobbo backing vocals, high octane rhythm section and string bending guitar is a timeless punk rock approach that has been with us since 1976. It takes me back to Chaos UK’s sound in the 1990s, with a touch of hardcore thrown in, but essentially it’s raucous punk rock full of energy. No, Grail Guard are not doing anything spectacularly new on the music front, but it’s what they are saying and, at times, the venom with which those words are spat, that gives this release a unique property. Singer Riaz isn’t just angry. He’s bloody livid.
The last few years has seen casual racism and targeted violent racism rise. As gangs of feral “patriots” shout at hotels, paint roundabouts (but not within the lines), litter the streets with cheap plastic flags from China and piss against the statues they claim to love, some sections of the media would have you believe everyone feels that way. But they are a minority. What’s worse is these goblins can be found lurking round the edges of the punk scene. Grail Guard see the problem and it’s the target for their sonic attack. This album serves as a shot to the arm if you’re sick of a vocal minority spewing anti-immigrant hate amplified by the media.
To say this is right up my street would be an understatement. A noisy punk rock soundtrack with words that actually matter is always going to appeal to me. With pre-orders live now, it’s not out until March but I think it will stand as an important release for 2026.
Musically the rest of the album continues in a whirlwind of punk fucking rock. There are moments when they channel the heaviness of bands like Poison Idea and their ilk with some glorious guitar tone. However, the second song, Our Streets, stands apart from the rest of the album’s obnoxious punk assault. The clarity of the vocal delivery on the more steady rhythmic verses makes it easier to decode the rejection of racism from someone on the receiving end of it. However Grail Guard’s delivery still retains a little cheeky humour alongside the anger. As Jello Biafra recently reminded us, having fun while we fight back against fascism is important – we need fun! I think the words deserve sharing in their entirety here:
“My family’s been in this country since 1952, invited in to this country to do the jobs you wouldn’t do
My family’s been in this country since 1952, invited in to this country to do the jobs you wouldn’t do
My dad was born in this country in 1963, immigrant son “you won’t amount to anything” , then he went and he had me
They don’t want us in there streets, they marched for it but they met defeat
They don’t want us in there streets, they marched for it but they met defeat
I was born in this country in 1985, go back to your own country what a time to be alive
They don’t want us in there streets, they marched for it but they met defeat
They don’t want us in there streets, they marched for it but they met defeat
From Windrush to fighting your wars, united we stand as one, but when you want someone to blame, you want us pakis gone
From Windrush to fighting your wars, united we stand as one, but when you want someone to blame, you want us pakis gone
We don’t want them in OUR streets, we marched for it, they met defeat
We don’t want them in OUR streets, we marched for it they met defeat.
Whose streets?
Whose streets?”
In times like these we need music like this. Just like we needed The Clash and The Ruts in the 70s. As I say…right up my street! Hopefully right up yours too.
Available for pre-order from TNS Records’ website and bandcamp
~
All words by Nathan Brown. You can read more from Nathan on his Louder Than War archive over here.
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