OpCritical – “Act Up”: A Raw Punk Rock Call for Change
Almost everyone keeps talking about how fast the world is changing and how they wish things could be different. Meanwhile you may actually find those people sitting completely motionless on their couch with a bag of chips with them, watching everything behind their screens, probably that’s a great way to burn your house down, both literally and figuratively. We need action and not just mere hashtags and stuffs, yeah they all important but we need people in action and not just words. Anonymous rock project OpCritical tackles that couch potato complacency with their high-voltage punk track, “Act Up“.
The track released a few days ago is a fast and sharp wake-up call to all of us. It says we should move past idle complains, and understand that nobody else is coming to save the world for you, and personal action is the only way to fight apathy and injustice. So act up, it’s ain’t just about the world, even your personal life, if you don’t take charge of it, no one is coming to clean your mess, your life will flash right before your eyes and you can’t blame anyone. So don’t just sit and do nothing, watching everything behind your TVs and wake up the next day, go to work as if everything’s alright without a single word about your displeasure about the injustice and everything people face.
These guys OpCritical have really become a fierce force in creating awareness for people and I love their tracks. It feels like walking into a crowded garage where the amplifiers are turned up and the band refuses to beat around the bush. Formed entirely to speak out against daily injustices and protect basic civic values, the group keeps the focus squarely on the message rather than any personal spotlight.
And I can say they’ve delivered again. This is a track that acts as a swift kick in the teeth. How those driving, distortion-heavy electric guitars lay down a fast, aggressive punk rhythm that gets your pulse racing immediately is frantic. The drum kit pounds out a relentless, driving beat that mimics a ticking clock, urging the listener to get off the sidelines, put themselves on the field of play and and stand up for people and see how everyone will join in. It takes just one person to start a revolution, it could be you, it could be me, it could be anyone.
I also like how direct the vocals are, it’s gritty, and completely unpolished in the best way possible, cutting straight through the heavy instrumentation with lines like, “I’m wondering, when you’re gonna speak out and tell it like it is.” Why are we afraid to say things the way they are and be sugarcoating it? What’s it gonna take for you to save the world? Are you gonna sit down and watch your house burn whilst you sit on the couch? What’s gonna take for you to leave that couch and take action?
I love how the production keeps things raw and punchy, avoiding anything over-processed so the raw energy of the instruments hits you right in the chest. I love the twists in the beats and vocal delivery too, it changes pace and gets into a more urgent need from confrontational. Then returns to its original state and keeps the tempo going, fast and furious, keeping the adrenaline pumping and refusing to let you relax.
This is a track that should be played on the radios, so it can push everyone to do something that’s gonna save our world. “Act Up” deserves a listen from everyone, not only because it brings back the rebellious, direct attitude of classic punk rock. But also it delivers an explosive charge of energy and a timely reminder that your voice actually matters and therefore we can’t keep mute whilst people suffer injustice just because maybe it’s ain’t close to us or it ain’t us. So go ahead stream “Act Up” and stop watching from the sidelines!
Enjoyed that and want more from OpCritical? Check them out on the links below;
English