BIGWIG: 

Reclamation

by Paul Chiesa

Five years passed since Bigwig released a full length album.  A lot happened since then.    Some Bigwig fans assumed that they fell off the face of the earth and lost interest, but Bigwig returned to refresh punk rock with Reclamation.    Maybe because of the band’s constant lineup changes, or carbon copied bands produced in excess throughout a tired scene; maybe just because of the current state of the world, one thing stands out with their third Fearless Records album: Bigwig is pissed off.   

Bigwig continues to grow with each album and Reclamation proves to be no exception.   With three new members on the Bigwig roster, Tom and friends returned to the scene with a relentless fourth album.  You won’t find the bouncy pop punk songs with “dumbed-down” choruses that contaminated their previous efforts.  They have  raised the stakes and one-upped their last album, Invitation to Tragedy.  With only 11 songs, Bigwig manages to say what they have to say both lyrically and above all, musically. 

Fueled by technical instrumentation from beginning to end, Bigwig lets its hardcore and metal roots shine through on Reclamation.  Perhaps they put their Fugazi and Descendents  records on the back burner while their Iron Maiden, Propagandhi, and Slayer (who they once covered for a compilation) records boiled in the front.  Tight/hard-hitting drums and deep flowing bass work build the backbone of each energetic song while harmonized guitars work off each other to bring excitement back into an exhausted genre. While most of the album races by at high-speed, even mid-tempo songs, such as “Rat Race” and “Time Bomb,” remain aggressive and uncompromising.  Reclamation will get the metal heads head banging with their devil horns in the air and the punks slam dancing while both groups sing along.      

Bigwig didn’t merely focus on the music, however; the vocals are melodic yet hostile with the occasional “Woah.”  They stay true to the “Fuck You,” attitude that used to drive so many punk bands.  Anthem-like choruses discussing the current state of the world and other social observations bridge the catchy verses together with a call and response vocals every once in a while to keep things interesting.  In the closing track, “No Thoughts, No Spine” Tom touches upon some bands succumb to a label’s formula of watered down song lyrics with no original ideas just to sell records –  “No Thoughts, No Spine, You’re just repeating someone else’s line.  You’re main concern is what you sell” –  a perfect ending to a solid album. 

Bigwig lives their words with Reclamation, answering to no one and delivering a powerful album packed with hyper speed songs that have something to say while leaving little time to breathe.  Well worth the wait, Reclamation will please old Bigwig fans and new fans will emerge.