The Godfathers | Electric Déjà Vu

The Godfathers: Electric Déjà Vu

(Godfathers Recordings)

CD | DL

Out 11th April 2025

PRE-ORDER HERE

The Godfathers launch into celebrations of the 40th anniversary since their formation with a compilation of tracks taken from their most recent three studio albums. It’s a collection of songs which proves beyond any doubt that the band have lost none of their incendiary power and belligerent menace that graced our ears and rattled our speakers when they first emerged on the rock’n’roll scene back in the mid-80s.

The longevity of any band will inevitably be judged by both their ability to continue writing songs which complement the legacy that they have built and also by their live performances such that they do not in any way denigrate that legacy. Within this context, and amidst the explosion of new talent that is emerging from within the current independent music scene, it is great to see and hear that a number of bands are still flying the flag for the post punk era of the 80s that helped to shape so much of what followed. One of those bands is The Godfathers who continue to perform with their legendary incendiary rock’n’roll force as they now celebrate their 40th Anniversary since their formation. And celebrate is most definitely the word as they have plans to make 2025 yet another memorable year.

When I first experienced the rock’n’roll mayhem of The Sid Presley Experience at the Sheffield Leadmill back in February 1985, I could hardly have expected that, having morphed almost seamlessly into The Godfathers following Sid Presley’s subsequent untimely demise, some 40 years later this band would still have an immense presence in the rock’n’roll scene as they continue to deliver their electrifying brand of primal rock’n’roll in all parts of the globe. Whilst their 1988 album Birth, School, Work, Death still stands as a rock’n’roll benchmark for so much that followed in their wake, under the leadership of founder and frontman Peter Coyne, The Godfathers are a band who have continued to release some really strong material in spite of numerous changes in band membership and a long hiatus in the 2000s.

The Godfathers now celebrate the milestone of their 40th year since formation with plans for multiple record releases as well as tours and festivals across the UK, Europe and around the world. Having successfully completed a short run of UK shows around their traditional St Valentine’s Day Massacre gig at London’s Garage, the first of these releases is Electric Déjà Vu, an 18-track compilation featuring songs personally selected by Peter from the band’s three most recent studio albums – 2013’s Jukebox Fury which was released 18 years after their previous studio album, 2017’s A Big Bad Beautiful Noise and 2022’s Alpha Beta Gamma Delta.

Back Into The Future opens the album in classic fashion with its anger riddled gritty vocals, hard driving rhythm, raging guitars and anthemic chorus lines. Exploring the continued domination of ordinary lives by large organisations, this is exactly the kind of sheer rock’n’roll power that the band have continued to gift to the world since their inception and sets the tone perfectly for all that is to follow. OCD ups the ante even further like the fallout from a collision between the Dead Boys and The Ramones as it scorches the ground right in front of you, whilst the more melodic and harmony driven power-pop vibes of You Don’t Love Me really showcase the versatility that this band has always had.

The Outsider is an almost unnerving reminder of the old Sid Presley days recorded at a time when original guitarist Del Bartle was back in the band delivering titanic chugging riffs as Peter steps into the world of the non-conformist through malevolent eyes. As ever, sinister by name and sinister by nature. In sharp contrast Bring On The Sunshine has a more commercial edge with a far more uplifting vibe as Peter sings “I’m always happy when the sun shines” with Beach Boys style harmonies signposting a more positive outlook for the future.

Till My Heart Stops Beating turns up the heat once more with a driving intensity which is channelled through a pulsating Joy Division style rhythm melding seamlessly with an Iggy style drawl, whilst I Can’t Sleep Tonight is nothing short of a restless Ramones style romp. But don’t get fooled by the twisted psychedelic meanderings which open You Gotta Wait which soon explodes into a punchy and raucous rock’n’roll cavalcade of desperation as it delves into the mundanity and frustrations of the average working week. “The weekend is a million miles away and I just wanna punch that guy in the mouth” really says it all.

Take what you want from Miss America but this challenge to the ideals which were (once) the foundation of “the land of the free” sounds more relevant to the modern-day world than ever before. And this state of the nation address segues seamlessly into an appropriately titled Theme To The End Of The World with its somewhat surreal and transfixing spaghetti western feel, and the heavy staccato rhythms of I Hate The 21st Century which takes a somewhat down beaten view on the modern world and our over reliance on technology…..yeah, no doubting that “the shit’s got real.”

A Big Bad Beautiful Noise is a fierce, ferocious and relentless explosion of noise in which Darren Birch’s tortured bass lines underpin a simply majestic rhythm as Peter extols the beauty of city life with guitars raging and sirens wailing. Epic stuff! Primitive Man then leads us into a world of foot-stomping primitive rock dominated by weaving powerhouse guitar lines and a largely spoken word narrative as it observes how little we as a world seemed to have moved forward in spite of all the technological advances that surround us. Midnight Rider has a mean and moody Johnny Cash come Iggy style vibe as it plunders the world of solitude.

Poor Boy’s Son is a classic slice of swamp rock imbued with some 60’s style swing as it once again tackles the plight of the working man. Tonight is dominated by melodious guitars and an infectious energy whilst She’s Mine slows it right back down with a real sense of sentimentality overlaid with bright and illuminating guitars. And then, as if with breathless delight after such a wild outpouring of power and conviction, this fine collection closes with the hard edged I’m Not Your Slave which serves as an arms aloft type celebration of freedom.

As the world continues to crumble into an abyss of political instability and never-ending conflict, it’s great to know that there are still bands like The Godfathers flying the flag for rock’n’roll and bringing people together from all walks of life and backgrounds to celebrate their incendiary live shows. Electric Déjà Vu is an album that showcases The Godfathers as a band who are still at the top of their game in their 40th year and we can only look forward to what the next chapter has in store.

The current line-up of the band features Peter Coyne on vocals, Jon Priestley on bass, Billy Duncanson on drums, Richie Simpson on guitar and Paul Humphreys on guitar. As regards the immediate future, a brand new studio single will follow in the summer with an archive double live album promised for later in the year. These releases pave the way for an album of new material in 2026 and I cannot wait for that, so watch this space.

You can pre-order the album here.

You can find The Godfathers on Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp and their website.

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All words by Ian Corbridge. You can find more of his writing at his author profile here.