The Bruisers – “In the Pit”

Originally released in 2000 through TKO Records, In the Pit (subtitled Live & Rare) acts as a definitive career retrospective capturing the blue-collar spirit of Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s premier Oi! and street-punk outfit, The Bruisers. Fronted by Al Barr prior to his long tenure with Dropkick Murphys, the band established a bridge between traditional British street-rock influences like The Business and Cockney Rejects and the driving velocity of American hardcore legends like Agnostic Front. This compilation is prized for compiling rare, previously unreleased studio alternate takes alongside blistering live recordings. Tracks like the unreleased versions of Bloodshed and Society’s Fools, paired with a fierce live rendition of Independence Day, spotlight the group’s signature anthemic choruses, hard-edged guitar work, and working-class lyrical defiance that heavily shaped the American Oi! renaissance of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Track Listing:

1. Bloodshed (Unreleased Version) 2:22
2. Society’s Fools (Unreleased Version) 1:55
3. Never Fall (Alternate Version) 2:02
4. Eyes Of Fire (Alternate Version) 2:47
5. Live For Now 3:05
6. Independence Day 2:06
7. My Pride (Live) 2:31
8. Nation on Fire (Live) 3:11
9. Never Fall (Live) 2:14
10. 21 Years (Live) 1:59
11. Intimidation (Live) 2:50
12. Eyes of Fire (Live) 3:09
13. Independence Day (Live) 1:59
14. Bloodshed (Live) 2:05
15. Police Oppression (Live) 3:16
16. American Night (Live) 3:35
17. We Will Survive (Live) 1:52
18. In This Country (Previously Unreleased) 1:32