License To Kill
As one of the oldest punk bands to emerge from Thailand, Licensed to Kill is an intense, brooding, volcanic unit that merges the world of doom, hardcore thrash, and hoarse, scorched-voice metal with a kind of guttural ferocity.
Their tunes address all kinds of disparate issues, but they never boil them down to doctrines, rules, or belief systems. Instead, they stir up very human, angry, potent messages about people dealing with everything: selfish hearts, filthy corruption, needed and necessary punk unity despite changing times and trends, and the madness and degradation of war. “Stop Corruption” blazes with machine-gun speed as they insist that they will never cower down as slaves, while “My Underground” spreads their message of fierce dedication to the underground communities that let people be free.
And like Discharge, with surging power and unhesitating energy on “Why War?” they hammer against the deadly machines, leaders, and organizations that crumble people, chew up cities, and force communities to flee due to senseless slaughter, death, decay, and destruction. It’s a warning about the darkness inside the systems as well as people that pretend to be builders and teachers but who actually might be laying the groundwork for despair and disunity. Even the small fish must resist, they scream in their pointed lyrics, and in doing they can create a new world.
Meanwhile, “Empty” shoots headlong into the issues of feeling empty and depressed, especially due to the blind power and deceptions of money, which are often the roots of terrible decisions and desires. It is a surging song that will stoke a fire between your ears. Then “Streetfight” begins with a chunky metalhead mosh intro, though it soon veers into fast'n'fueled metal punk mania (think mid-period Raw Power) that depicts the pain and confusion of dealing with a chaotic mind, lurking dangers, and bodily torture. It is anthemic and angry, gritty and gut-wrenching.
While some bands have mellowed and given up the fight, or changed their style into a boring mainstream format, Licensed to Kill remains tough, rumbling, turbulent, and harsh. Their tunes look straight into the darkness, unafraid to see the ugly side of life and the daily struggle to maintain dignity and defiance.