Album Review: Mark Lind And The Unloved – The Last Bastion

Long-time Boston punk institution and The Ducky Boys front-man, Mark Lind, is set to return with “The Last Bastion“, his first album of new music since 2013 and the first with The Unloved in a decade. The current line up of The Unloved that contributed to the recording of Lind’s latest album is very different to the previous one, this time time round The Unloved are culled from the Art Thieves, Diablogato, Michael Kane And The Morning Afters and The Bruisers with members of Far From Finished and even one of Lind’s previous outfits, Dirty Water, contributing to the making of “The Last Bastion“.

 

It’s almost impossible to separate Mark Lind from The Ducky Boys, and this release is no exception as that spirit is present but this is not a recreation of his former band, after almost 25 years on the punk scene he’s still delivering original punk rock that has constantly evolved. From the opening chords of “Lost” you know that bringing back The Unloved after a decade was the right decision, the opening track invokes the spirit of Social Distortion, but before you can make any assumptions about the direction of “The Last Bastion” the second track “Chosen Ones” hits you like a punk rock Guns ‘N Roses and “Care – Care Not” shifts the album up a gear into full tilt punk rock. Three tracks in and three styles, something that gives this album the feel of a Mark Lind anthology as he touches on every style he’s embraced over the years, and he hits the target every damn time.

 

“The Last Bastion” continues to incorporate different styles, but all the time there is a solid core of punk rock to every single track, the trademark anthemic style from one of Boston’s finest sons remains firmly in place on an album that manages to sound remarkably fresh despite touching on Lind’s past glories. Over the years Mark Lind has become synonymous with the Boston punk scene, from his first release back in 1996, a split EP featuring The Ducky Boys and Dropkick Murphys, through Dirty Water, Sinners And Saints, The Warning Shots and now with the resurrected Mark Lind And The Unloved he has rarely put a foot wrong, something that makes “The Last Bastion” an aptly titled album. 

 

“The Last Bastion” can be pre-ordered digitally here and physically here via State Line Records