"Germany’s favourite hooligans are back with a full length of new oi anthems to chant along with. Sounding as energetic and full of verve as the STAGE BOTTLES of the past the band delivers songs like “Real Skinhead” in an attempt to instill an anti-racist message with the subculture. And “Punk & Disorderly” should have been a song written ages ago, although not quite the unity song it serves more to demonstrate the differences in the two scenes. STAGE BOTTLES have been at it since 1993 forming out of the break up of BLAGGERS ITA. Politics have always been a big part of their sound and given that the band is a skinhead band it only makes sense that the anti-racist message is how this gets expressed. The new cover is a crushed swastika war medal demonstrating as much. The band is from Frankfurt Germany and with the resurgence in fascist ideals, the STAGE BOTTLES form an important anti-fascist alternative. What sets the band apart from the pack is Olav’s saxophone. It gives the band an eerie BAD MANNERS feel to their skinhead punk beat associating them with anti-racist scenes of the past. But the band is a straight up hardcore punk band with loads of melody. Think BAD MANNERS meets the politics of ANGELIC UPSTARTS meets the sound of BLAGGERS ITA." 7 stars out of 10 (SP)

Equalizing X Distort

"Very strong skinhead music from Germany. I reviewed their Sometimes Anti-Social...Always Anti-Fascist Ep a couple of years ago and have always considered them to be the leading Oi band in Europe due to their catchy songs, dual male/female vocals, intelligent lyrics, and vehemently anti-Nazi stance. There can never be enough anti-fascist bands out there, especially in Europe where neo-Nazi organzing amongst working-class youth is a continual problem. The STAGE BOTTLES have a nice mix of punk, ska and aggressive pop tunes (not unlike the BLAGGERS ITA, the STRIKE, THOSE UNKNOWN, etc) to back up their lyrics, and an off-stage lifestyle dedicated to combatting racist ideas and organizing within the scene, the streets and soccer grounds. Comes with a booklet containing the band's history, lyrics and photographs." (AD)

MRR, April 2002

"A solid mix of ska and street Oi! punk from Germany, with hoarse vocals that carry the songs along. The sax playing sets this band apart from the rest of the crowd; since it's not a full on horn section, you've got more of an accompanying instrument, more than anything else. I see them being almost comparable to the E Street band in appearance (well, with an awful lot of Oi!/skin fist waving instead of working class hero posing) live, with the sax player hanging out on the side, getting the spotlight on him on occasion, and adding a depth to the bands sound, without being the focus as with most ska bands. Recommended for those that like plenty of melody in their street punk. Damn, their are three labels on this, but I'm only going to list the Canadian one...well, just because I don't think too many of you will order it from Germany or Italy!" (Steve)

Shredding Paper #12