About a year and a bit ago, I was in All Ages record store in Camden, and this song was blasting out of the speakers. I already had a record in my hands that I was going to buy, but after hearing this song (and limited money) I put the record down, and bought the first Flesh Rag record. Since then, I’ve been hooked. More than hooked. You can call it obsessed.

Writing about Inside Your Mind is going to be an enjoyable experience. Flesh Rag are essentially, a Punk band but there’s way more to them than being a genre. They have that raw, snarly feel that the Dead Boys had. When their songs are really obnoxious, that’s when you play them a bit louder – In Another Dimension is a prime example of that. Flesh Rag are a band that can only be played loud. If you even try to listen to them quietly, the dial magically turns itself up.

I love how Matt’s vocals remind me of Stiv Bators and Captain Beefheart. He’s got a real distinctive sound, and on this record you notice it more. Just One Kiss is definitely peak Dead Boys reference, and as someone who is a huge fan of Dead Boys- I feel Flesh Rag pick up where Punk left off. This is their first full length record, and if you’ve listened to their previous hits- you’ll hear a band that are stoic in their sound, and most certainly are our saviours. It even says so on the press release; “Flesh Rag is Rock and Roll salvation, and only believers are gonna be saved.” Embrace your sins, and forget holy water saving you- Flesh Rag are where it is at.

Sunday Morning is one of my favourites on the record. You’d like to think that a song with this title may be gentle or easy on the ears. Fortunately, Flesh Rag do not do what is expect. This is a loud number, and it makes you think a little of any song off Raw Power by The Stooges. Sometimes when you pick up influences easily in a band, it takes away the excitement and originality of the music. However, with Flesh Rag I can hear all these influences and it is just amazing. It is almost as if I don’t need to listen to all the records I love on a loop- I can just listen to this record, and it takes me where the likes of Safe As Milk and Young, Loud And Snotty do.

Inside Your Mind is made up of 13 instant Punk classics. I love that Flesh Rag again, do not make you feel like you are listening to a band from 2018. I feel like I’m experiencing Punk in the 70s and living through it. For me that is such a powerful trait to possess, and I can’t praise these Kings of Canada enough.

Flesh Rag are evidently a band that properly come alive at their shows. They probably throw things around, have stage invasions and have the crowd leaving covered in beer, and bruises. All the things any good show should do. Inside Your Mind is such an exciting record, and is easily one of the best (current) Punk records I’ve heard. But like I’ve mentioned, they go beyond being a Punk band. Love Dump is one of my favourites, and that one really messes with whatever you expect from the band, and music in general.

You can stream the record here: https://fleshrag.bandcamp.com/  and you can get yourself a physical copy now too. Inside Your Mind is released via Schizophrenic Records.

Play this record loud, because any other setting just won’t do!