Customer Reviews

Viking

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have read quite a few reviews and felt the need to say my piece after reading a review from someone who had just flicked through the booklet and review the CD from that without actually listening to it(???).
I've been into Rancid since the first album and to be honest, I haven't liked an album since "And out come the wolves" I've seen em live and they do kick severe arse. When I first heard about Lars doing a side project I was excited. I had reason to be the first album is amazing. Back to the roots old school Punk. No prisoners or apologies. Seminal, brutal and in your face. When I saw Viking I was, understandably, like a kid on Christmas eve. Upon listening what happened??? I love it. The entire CD kicks you in the face. I love the entire CD like an old friend. Stand out songs are Switchblade, Mainlining Murder, For you and Viking. I've been into punk since it began. I don't like a lot of the new "punk" pop that is taking over at the moment. If you like old school hard punk then listen to this and the first Lars Frederikson and the Bastards CD. You won't be disappointed. Oh and if you get the chance go see em live. Lars is a showman and they kick arse like only punks can!!

i bought this cd the day it came out and it hasn't left my cd player since. i used to be a 15 year old punk and worry about who was or wasn't selling out, but now i'm 25 and alls i want to do is to listen to some good music. and this cd does the job. i would've given it 5 stars but it doesn't live up to the expectations left by lars's first cd. if you can, i suggest you pick up the japanese relaese. it has 1 extra song called "road to hell" that kicks a**.

Lars Frederiksen has returned! And he brought the long-awaited second LFATB album with him. "Viking" is amazing. If you're a fan of Lars, Rancid, or punk music, this is definitely worth picking up. The first LFATB record is a little different. If you already own that one, be ready for the same kind of music but much more mature lyrics about Lars' life now, not just his childhood. A couple more "hardcore" songs are on the record, along with a couple slower ones. It's a nice mix. Also, there's a letter from Lars inside the booklet, as there was on the first record, but this time he uses this space to tell about the death of his brother, Robert. It's pretty touching, especially since Lars can come off as a very hardcore man.

I don't remember not liking one song on this record. It's amazing and very true material. Don't waste any more time--Go get "Viking!"

Viking is a great cd. It mixes old school punk rock with wicked guitar solos that you would only expect to hear in classic rock. Lars truly is the man keeping punk rock alive. Other non-lars projects who try, such as Leftover Crack, while good, will never reach his popularity, or talent. However, I give this 4 stars instead of five for the following reasons.

1. Their first album had undeniably better songs and lyrics. Although, this album is probably more punk than the previous.

2. The two covers, particular the song "For You", which is a cover of a song by another punk rock band by the name of the Anti Nowhere League, did not really need to be done. They sound identical to the originals, and if Lars wants to pay homage he'd serve much better by at least putting the band under the thank yous. IMO, Anti Nowhere Leage is the best punk rock band to ever come out of the United Kingdom, and yes, I'm including the Sex Pistols and the Clash.

To the reviewer below who refers to the songs as 'gangster' music and what not, I would like to point out that original punk rock was pretty violent. The Ramones had countless songs about beating on people, shooting them, and what not. The Sex Pistols had anarchy, and The Clash's pre-sellout music advocated shooting cops and everything else. It wasn't until the 80s: Dead Kennedys, and particularly Operation Ivy that the whole "Unity Music" liberal-friendly style took hold.

LFATB is truly one of the few nation-wide bands that you can call 'punk'. Everything else has either moved to pop or 'hardcore'.

If you're new to the band, I suggest you go with their original self-titled cd first, as it was truly great. Viking of course is a fantastic cd as well, but their original cd was something to behold, and they will probably never surpass it again for the rest of their careers. It is their "London Calling".

Lars' side project appeals to me because it songs pretty much exactly like Rancid, and their first CD was pretty awesome, a solid punk album for all fans of Rancid. They were a safe haven from the transplants stuff and Skinhead Rob's rap. This record is not bad, in fact the music is actually really good and some of the tracks are legendary (1% and Skins, Punx, and DrunX).

There is one problem, and it's BIG!

The lyrics drive this album right into the ground. After the fifth or sixth song about prostitutes and how we're gonna screw them and then kill them, you're about ready to put this CD away for a long while. I agree with the guy who said that the album booklet was completely unneccessary, and even Tim Armstrong couldn't pull "My Life to Live" out of the fire.

This is just mediocre, bottom line. I know punk lyrics are nothing deep, but c'mon guys, spend more than half of five minutes and write something at least decent.

Take this from one who is barely a fan of Rancid (owning and enjoying only the famous ...AND OUT COME THE WOLVES) and who has not heard the debut from this band: VIKING proves that punk is not dead yet.

This album is not perfect. "Mainlining Murder" is a throwaway track, the weakest by far. "For You" can be somewhat repetitive, though good. "Gods of War" is also pretty lame, the second worst on the album, but theres no point in hitting the skip button...its so short. Finally, the tough-guy posturing of VIKING can get kinda obnoxious, and the ode to hookers "My Life to Live" is semi-reminiscent, semi-lame, though its a great song if you don't mind singing along to a song about hookers and leading a generally disastrous life.

That would make it seem like I was less than fond of this album. That is not so...this album rocks its way through a set of confident and competent rock-n-roll unseen in this day and age. From the opening proclamation of "we're bastards, decent rock-n-roll!", to its somber ending of "i'm free", VIKING never shuts up...it demands to be heard. What makes this album so refreshing is its unabashed embrace of pure rock-n-roll. Other than tough, Lars and the boys aren't trying to be anything; the band sounds equally at home in the 50s-rock of "Marie Marie" as in the hardcore of "Fight", and just about everywhere else too.

In a year where "hardcore" has taken over as the popular hard music of choice (none of it is actually hardcore, but thats a different thing), Lars & the Bastards remind us what it means to simply be rock-n-roll. From the time you pop this record in till the last notes of Lars' voice ring out, you will be transported to a simpler world, where the only thing that matters is a guitar and someone willing to listen. In all seriousness, thank god for this album, where simplicity is an ideal but not a gimmick, where rock-n-roll is the dream and not the foundation. Put this on and rock out. Highly recommended.

Very very good. Simply to put it Lars has matured and the songs aren't just about growing up and is more intimate with the skunx . If you are not familiar with Lars Frederiksen & the bastards I recomend checking out there first album before this. But this was the only good side project that was made from rancid. Tim armstrong was a producer on this and the first album along with writing lyrics. And most of you know Tim has a side project Transplants which in my opinion wasnt worth it. really check this thing out its worth it.

This new album from Lars Fredericksen and the Bastards is a great album to have for punk rock fans. Some of the other reviews are extremely critical of "The Viking", saying that it's not punk. Well most of these reviewers for get that there is a second word in the genre of the word punk. It's "punk-rock". Many people forget that rock is a major influence and is apparent in the music. True, it might not be like the first album, however, I am a music listener that appreciates the artist for what they are doing at the time. The production from Tim Armstrong is really quite terrific and proves that Rancid/Lars are far from leaving the punk-rock scene.

With the quick, rhythmic guitar riffs from Lars and the bastards behind him make for an excellent record. The album is for a fan of Lars's first album, Rancid, and anyone who does not believe that punk-rock is dead. Highlights of the album include:

Bastards
Marie Marie
Switchblade
My Life to Live (with Tim Armstrong)
The Viking

A good addition to a collection of punk-rock albums. I was not disappointed and recommend you give the album a listen.

Well for fans of Rancid and their side projects the Transplants and Lars Frederickson and the Bastards, there is both good news and bad news. The good news? Well, the group can only go up from here. The bed news? Lars Frederickson and the Bastards followup to their brilliant 2001 self titled debut, is easily the worst record I heard in 2004, a vile, ugly, tuneless and most unforgivable, stupid excuse of a record.
What makess "Viking" so bad you maybe asking yourself. You maybe thinking, "hey man, the first Lars record was great, Rancid's a really good band. It can't be that bad," but you would be mistaken. In under forty minutes Lars not only bores you makes your head hurt, but also makes you re-evaluate those cheerished Rancid records that sit in your C.D. wallet.
Like the first one, this one is essential a conecpt record. But where the first one took you to the back corners of Lars' childhood in Campbell, California with honesty, humor, sorrow and detail enough to place you on the streets with Lars(not to mention some of the most anthemic and authentic punk music of the last fifteen years), "Viking" is about how much of a bad ass Lars and his compadres are. But the only thing "Viking" convinces you of is that these guys probably aren't.
"Streetwise Professor" has Lars screaming over the most generic punk riff ever written about how hard is. "The Bastards", the records lead off track and single, tells you about how hard his band is. On "The Kids Are Quiet on Sherman Palms", Lars tells us about how hard he was. You get the point.
Hell, we even get the now requisite cameo from "Skinhead" Rob Ashton, from Rancid bandmate Tim Armstrongs side project the Transplants, on "Switchblade", where Rob raps about how hard he is. God, these guys have an image problem.
When Tim shows up to try and salvage this travesty of a record on "my Life to Live", with a surprisingly credible mandolin part rocked by Rancid's bassist Matt Freeman, you hope that it might save the record, but these guys ahve different plans. Over the most genreic punk/ Celtic song ever written, Tim and Lars talk about how much they love hookers, with lyrics that are so poorly written and idiotic that it takes a much stronger man then myself not to die laughing. Some of the funniest lines I can't re-print here, but to sum it up, Lars and Tim like hookers. So much so that even in the sleazy booklet we see them hanging out with them. Maybe its just me, but I always thought true badasses didn't have to pay for it!
But the most telling track very well may be the final track, "Viking". Easily the worst, but at the same time moranic enough to make you laugh, song on the album, over overwritten strings and a Hammond Organ, Lars brings up to date, informing us that he's "got a mother", so apparentenly he "ai'nt motherless", and that he's not only "dated pop stars"(which took prescious time away from his beloved hookers), but he's also "stolen fast cars" and "tried suicide/ but didn't die", because believe you me, he is still "here to tell". The refrain of the song, spoken, not sung by Lars, is "Sorry ladies, but I'm married to the sea", and by that point you wish he'd stay there.
The record could be salvaged if the music wasn't as bland as it is. This is subpar 70's era punk mixed with the worst parts of Motorhead's back catalog.
Halfway through the record there is a semi-decent song called "Marie, Marie", but lo and behold that song wasn't even written by Frederickson, but rather its a cover.
"Viking" is pretty much the defintiton of a bad record. There are fewer records that are more tuneless, uninspired and idiotic as this is.
Easily the let down of the year.

First of all, I'm not one of those types who has to classify the music based on standards (ie: punk).. I just listen to whatever I like and don't really think of it as any kind of genre. Music is music and you like what you like.

I bought this album a few weeks ago after much delay and I am already hooked. I have the first CD and loved it so I got this one, and wasn't disappointed. It is kind of different from the first album, the lyrics are more violent somewhat, but sometimes that makes me love it more. I love "Switchblade".. though kind of violent the message to me is just about protecting yourself and having good, trustworthy friends. My second favorite song is probably "My Life to Live" and not just because Tim Armstrong makes an appearance.. the song is about hookers and people may not like that, but it's also about what it's like to be on the road and bouncing from city to city with your friends/bandmates and having beautiful women throwing themselves at you because you are famous wherever you go. I think Tim puts a nice touch on the song when he sings about how he loves the girl's 'breasts, thighs, smile, and brown eyes'. And this is all coming from a girl.. I just love that song.

Aside from lyrics, the music never disappoints. As with the first album, I find the music very fun.. something you can jump around to.. it makes me want to be at a show in the pit having fun. I love "Skins, Punx and Drunx" and "Fight".

It's just an all around great CD and when I put it on I don't want to skip a song.