MDC The Last War CD Review

‘The Last War’ sees an absolute cornucopia of artists who have influenced the band, going as far back as the formative years of Dave Dictor when he saw Little Stevie Wonder at Madison Square Garden. He has stated it was at this point he was determined that music would become his life. It’s not a coincidence that Stevie’s “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” is featured here and is the album’s first single. And if you thought that it was surprising to find Stevie represented here, it may catch you off guard that The Rolling Stones [(“Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)], Slayer (“Americon”) and Iron Maiden (“Killers”) also find themselves on the album. I do feel it necessary to point out that “Killers” is called “Asesinos” and sung in Spanish. It’s a blazing rendition and is completely unexpected. 

The vehement energy one would expect from MDC is here in a number of fascinating ways, especially when looking at their version of the 1965 gospel song “Freedom Highway” by The Staple Singers or the 1944 Woody Guthrie tune “All You Fascists Bound to Lose”.  The songs I was most excited for were those that I knew best aligned with MDC’s hardcore punk energy like Fang’s “Here Come the Cops”, Thatcher on Acid’s “No Fuckin War” and Heart Attacks’ “The Last War”. The stark contrast in covered artists is part of what makes this album so much fun, especially when stylistically some of the songs being covered couldn’t be any more different than the new MDC versions.

~TJ