Back in the days of old, before the pandemic, I used to frequent Nick’s in Marietta for trivia with my friends Blake Ray, Zach Reinart, and Patrick Fuller, who were all members of cowpunk hellraisers Blood Oaks. The band consisted of Ray on vocals, Reinart on lead guitar, and Fuller on bass, as well as Ian Mallon on rhythm guitar, and Shane Simmons on drums. I caught a handful of their gigs around the city, from the Masquerade opening for Amigo the Devil to dive bar singalongs at the now-closed Highlander. Every show had the rowdiness of a donnybrook with a touch of theatrics, making Blood Oaks a favorite for local punks looking to cut loose and get a bit silly. This streak of shows halted when COVID swept the world and everyone collectively waited for the storm to pass.
About a year ago when live music started back up, Blood Oaks was among the first bands to sign with Academic Punk Records, a small DIY label based in Nebraska. For their first release, the group started recording a five-song EP using their own gear. However, tragedy struck when Fuller passed away earlier this year, putting an indefinite pause on the record. When the band made the decision to move forward, they decided to keep Fuller’s tracks to honor his memory. Crash Traks, who provided some guest vocals on the EP, came into the fold to fill in on bass for future shows and recordings.
Blood Oaks finally debuted their much-anticipated EP north georgia death cult last month. On first listen it brought me back to some happy moments before the pandemic, watching my friends performing around the city. The recordings on the EP capture the vibe of their live shows, an aesthetic that can be best described as a gloriously gritty, yee-haw Southern racket. My favorite track is their cover of Johnny Cash’s legendary “Folsom Prison Blues” which really captures the essence of Blood Oaks overflowing with hip-shaking, head-banging tenacity. Another standout is “Duck and Cover,” a blistering barnburner the band used to churn out at pre-pandemic shows to drive folks into a tizzy.
Overall, the EP is a strong release for a band that has built a local following one raucous performance at a time. The anticipation is building for what comes next for Atlanta’s own hooting-and-hollering, square-dance-moshing, death-western-preaching Blood Oaks.
More Info
Bandcamp: bloodoaks.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @BloodOaksMusic
Instagram: @bloodoaks
SoundCloud: @blood-oaks
Twitter: @bloodoaksrock