Album Review: Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School Of Medicine - White People And The Damage Done

Could Jello Biafra ever really rest on his laurels? His punk legacy is so assured that if he lived out the rest of his days in a Hollywood penthouse he'd still be one of the most important punks of a generation. That, though, is obviously not his style. With The Guantanamo School Of Medicine releasing their second album, White People And The Damage Done, Biafra has established his first proper, non-guest appearance band since the Dead Kennedys split in 1986 and the comfort shows – in a good way.

It's remarkable how little Biafra's vocals have changed in over 30 years – it's truly astonishing to hear him, at 54 years old, belt out his classic wail. The Guantanamo School Of Medicine provide some of the dirtiest and aggressive music the man has put his name to and powerful opener, Brown Lipstick Parade, has some of the classic wit and wordplay we know and love from him. The furious mile-a-minute one-two punch of Road Rage and Mid-East Peace Process shows that Keith Morris and Off! aren't the only '80s punks still kicking up enough of a storm to put today's youngsters to shame.

Through melding styles, hard rock and rockabilly notably, into his aggressive punk attitude, Biafra has fronted something truly great here. There are tunes that would be at home on a Dead Kennedys best-of, but there's nothing derivative about this album – it's a potent, relevant and well-aimed punk rock missile of anger and frustration. The album probably won't win over any fans and politically it's certainly preaching to a well converted choir, but it's a brilliant example of how to remain active and relevant in punk and, really, it's just a damn load of fun.