Paranoid Visions

Escape from the Austerity Complex FOAD ***

Escape from the Austerity Complex FOAD***

Is it really more than 30 years since this Dublin punk band sprang up on a U2-infested island and scared the hell out of those who thought punk was more about the width of their drainpipes than about commenting on society’s corruption and evil? You might have thought Paranoid Visions had disappeared up a cul-de- sac of their own choosing, but in fact where others perished long ago, they have managed to secure their space on the landscape.

Also, they have stuck to their original plan: to play fast, brutish punk rock influenced by the melodies of Buzzcocks, the ruck of The Ruts and the ugliness of Crass, and conveying strong social messages. Paranoid Visions were never fashionable (not even in 1981), but their stubbornness in the face of decades of hipster indifference should be noted. paranoidvisions.com

Download tracks:On The Run, Politician, Tainted Ink

Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea is a contributor to The Irish Times specialising in popular culture