The Threats were an extremely minor underground Scottish punk quartet during the Oi! heyday. A groundswell of interest in forgotten punk bands of the '70s and '80s (similar to the Nuggets-inspired trawls through the '60s garage rock bands a generation before) inspired the group to re-form and release their first proper album, 2003's
Twelve Punk Moves. A third of the tracks were written and performed by the original
Threats, with the remainder new tunes that sound eerily similar to the older material. It must be said that the Threats never became huge stars for the very good reason that their songs never quite cross the line from "competently listenable" to "inspired," with
the Stooges-like "Schizovegan" and the sneering "Drug Culture" the highlights. There's nothing actually wrong with
Twelve Punk Moves, and when listened to in the right mood, it's an awful lot of fun. But it's not a newfound treasure. ~ Stewart Mason