Reetoxa Delivers a Fierce Punk energy on “War Killer” as World Peace Is Questioned
One thing for sure is politics and punk rock have been sticking it to each other for decades, I mean we get it, but it is rare to find a track that mixes military history, extreme pandemic lockdowns, and a random shot of tequila. Like do you get it? You don’t get it mostly. So if you are looking for a rock song that completely throws out the rulebook, and brings in it own influences, you need to check out the new single from the Melbourne-based band Reetoxa. The track titled “War Killer,” is the first political song ever written by the band’s front man, Jason McKee, and the story of how it came to life is completely wild.
The thing is Jason is a former Royal Australian Navy sailor who spent ten years on seagoing vessels. Now during his military days, he was constantly trained to view North Korea as an unstoppable, terrifying threat. Fast forward to the pandemic, and Jason found himself stuck in Melbourne during one of the most intense, strict lockdowns in the entire world. He spent six months writing music on a brutal diet of coffee, cigarettes, and a single ham and cheese croissant each morning.
Now here’s the real deal, during a rare break from writing, Jason turned on the television and saw something that blew his mind. There was Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un meeting up in person and shaking hands in peace. For a guy with a heavy military background, seeing a massive global conflict get cooled down over a simple phone call was mind-boggling. And this is what people don’t get, you don’t poke a warmonger, instead you initiate peace with them to calm down any future escalations.
I love how he saw things differently here, he didn’t care about the politics of it; he just cared about the concept of actual peace. This many has refused to notice these days, people would rather go to war than have a peace and until they are badly affected they think war is always the solution. Something happened, he noticed his friends on social media getting into vicious, angry arguments over the news, and he naively wondered why people couldn’t just celebrate a good moment together, no matter who they voted for.
That crazy television moment inspired the song “War Killer.” Interestingly, the song almost didn’t make it onto Reetoxa’s massive 26-track debut album, “Soliloquy,” mostly because Jason had a heap of songs to choose from. But then the band went into The Avenue Studio in suburban Cheltenham to record. After taking a quick break for some beers and tequila, the band laid down their very first take of the track.
The energy in the room was so explosive and perfect that Jason knew he had to include it. He usually shines on softer, emotional ballads, but for this track, he really dug deep to prove himself as a heavy punk singer. When the vocals were finished, Jason and his producer, Simon Moro, just shook their heads. They both realized they had a massive hit on their hands, but they also joked that the controversial message was probably going to get them both canceled.
Now the song itself is a raw, high-energy punk examination of political division. It channels the exact same heavy, rebellious spirit of classic punk anthems like Sham 69’s “If The Kids Are United.” It uses fast, driving guitar riffs and a pounding rhythm section to deliver a simple message about unity in a time when everyone loves to fight. It avoids taking a preachy side and instead focuses on a raw description of what Jason saw on his television screen.
Even though the band has done zero official promotion for the track, “War Killer” has instantly become a massive fan favorite. It gets people thinking and talking, which is exactly what good punk rock is supposed to do. Reetoxa is currently in early talks for a UK and European tour later this autumn, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
I ain’t gonna tell you what to do, but you see if you are tired of safe, boring radio rock and want something with real grit, authentic history, and a message that challenges the status quo, give this one a listen, and don’t forget your tequila shot!
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