South Africa is likely a place everyone has heard of since last year, if only to see our boys lose. I had to wait quite a long time for that.
However, South Africa has more to offer than glossy images, beautiful nature, and new football stadiums in impoverished areas. South Africa also has a vibrant punk scene. This was evident a few years ago when Halfprice from Cape Town came to Europe for two tours. I was not entirely uninvolved in that, but that's just a side note.
Now there’s a new addition, in the form of HOG HOGGIDY HOG.
The five-member band plays ska punk, and they have been doing so for 14 years. Currently, they are on tour in Europe to present their new album “Method to the Madness.”
The album features 14 songs, all rooted in ska punk. HOG HOGGIDY HOG is a band that still plays this sound, and not just has a brass player in the background who gets to blow his horn three times.
You can tell that the guys have been playing together for a long time. The songs are well-crafted, have intricate structures, and invite you to dance.
The band occasionally incorporates various influences into their songs. Salsa, reggae, and even African sounds come through. In particular, the African sounds are something truly new and set the band apart. Overall, these sounds could be more prominent. They fit well into the songs, but in my opinion, they appear too infrequently. There could have been something created that really stands out and is special.
This is not to say that the record is not good, but if the band claims to incorporate these sounds into their songs, then they could indeed be more present.
The band's sound is characterized by Californian punk rock in the style of NOFX, combined with influences that could also come from Mighty Mighty Bosstones, as well as from Sondaschule from Germany. It is the language of melodic ska punk, which is spoken and well-received all over the world.
HOG HOGGIDY HOG have released a great album with “Method to the Madness,” which shows that the band does not need to hide behind the big names in the scene. However, in some places, the often-mentioned African influence, which could make the band unique, is lacking.
