These Mancunian maniacs need no introduction but the uninitiated can click on the following links to read my reviews of Dirty Den’s March Of Suffering EP and FLIES LP.
Almost a year on from their debut album FLIES, this new double-header homes in on their less-considered moods. Chaotic without being careless, House Of Pain is a booming blast of off-beat drums, post-punk bass, schizophrenic guitars and free-roaming vocals. Tortured, guitar-led blow-outs punctuate Ben’s peerless vocals, switching from barely-suppressed frustration to primal roar.
A Time Of Peace is a short, blunt motör-punker with crazily-garbled vocals and, at just over a minute long, still manages to cram in an over-driven bridge, before finding catharsis in a screaming climax. I mean, phew.
It’s good to see THE BATTERY FARM back, still rooted in primal punk fury, suffused with their unique idiosyncrasies. Wonder what they’ll do next? Probably a concept album on the correct shade of Northern tea.
BOTCHED TOE are made up of one part DOMESTICS/PI$$ER, two parts HAEST/MATHILDA’S SCOUNDRELS and one part KITTIE SHITTER/FERAL STATE, though the experimental leanings of PI$$ER and the folk-punk of MS are nowhere to be found. Instead, they attempt to cheer us up with a punishingly negative soundtrack to the current misery of pandemic and life under Tory rule. Simple, memorable riffs, rumbling bass, pounding drums, vocals a primitive roar and the echo effect from PI$$ER along for a few laps. Lyrics are kept to a minimum, repeated bellows of rage to fit the overall ‘less is more’ concept.
High points include Third World’s formidable breakdown & spoken section, the catchy riff/single string solo of Government Schtick that fair schticks in your head and Botched Toe’s lightening-quick ‘fuck you’ guitar mangle. Overall highlight? Cream‘s slow, sinister rock has one of the best guitar chugs heard in a while, before opening this shit up for catharsis’ sake. The album ends on a high with a cover of BONEY M‘s One Way Ticket. Not really. It does, however, share the title and for your money you get a rumbling bass and drums intro, shouty chorus and another crucial spoken bit. One way ticket to your graaaave indeed. Ten tracks in 18 minutes so it doesn’t hang about, but then this isn’t cheery stuff. The straightforward riffs, loose drumming and vocal delivery give it a semi-improvisational vibe. Live, you could easily imagine the band bursting into a jam and just going with it, James’ primal roar freestyling over the top.
A false glimmer of hope? You got that right, BOTCHED TOE. With a sound like SORE THROAT playing on POLICE BASTARD‘s gear at a 90’s all-dayer, this is the desperate sound of utter despair, a punishing clamor of frustration for a dumbed down, miserable existence in modern Britain. Bruising.
Multi-label release with Kibou and Toxic Wotsit (UK), Amok (Germany), No Time (USA) and Pike (Sweden). Pre-order now for 11th February 2022 release on standard black or limited pink vinyl. Check it out here
Welsh pop punks return with ‘anti’ Christmas racket
A tale of murderous love, cleverly gift-wrapped in festive cliches, IGNITEMARES serve up three minutes of seasonally-paced pop punk in time for the holidays. Kayleigh Morgan‘s beautifully clear vocals deliver the dark lyrics, backed by a muscular rhythm section and powerful guitars.
The song’s character dreams of dispatching her ex-lover in Christmas-themed ways – apart from the machete of course, though admittedly it is a present – smuggled in under the guise of a rousing yuletide anthem with a satisfying chorus.
So here’s my Christmas spirit I want you all to hear it Embrace the message “Love screwed up again!” So here’s my Christmas song For you to cheer on If you don’t believe in Peace and good will to all men
What with April’s fantastic San Junipero, IGNITEMARES have really been coming up with the goods lately. This may have all the festive boxes ticked – sleigh bells, clichés, an exhortation to sing along (“Everybody!”) – but Wreck The Halls is no novelty. Catchy without being annoying, playful but not silly, it has a natural confidence that should keep it on your playlist year round.
Released December 3rd 2021 for streaming/download, check it out here
Play spot-the-influence on Leeds band’s angry pick ‘n mix debut
These Leeds upstarts have brought some serious eclecticism to the table with Ragwort but I would be wholly shocked if they didn’t all love RUDIMENTARY PENI. The first three songs on this debut do a fine job of sounding like RP. That is, if the cult Hertfordshire trio were teenagers in 2021 and their parents weened them on millennial rock. By fourth song Crown, with it’s NEW MODEL ARMY bounce and strident rock confidence, they are absorbing different influences into the mix. The anti-monarchy message is mixed with a healthy disdain for world leaders, the lyrics (“don’t wanna see a crown on no head“) referencing not only royalty but also Trump, Putin and Xi Jinping. The Right To Fight ventures into a curious but satisfying post-punk arena, with skittering drums, funky bass and slashing guitars, before heading off into an angry RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE-style breakdown. Me And Also You drifts back into PENI territory with typical bassline, echoey vocals and a slow, tom-heavy build-up, before collapsing under the weight of it’s own frustration. A Trip To Cornwall‘s jazz drums, distorted vocals and blues-rock work-out, tell the tale of a different kind of trip, while 1!2!3!4! dips into earnest anarcho-punk – “1,2,3,4, you are going off to war!” – though it does throw in another magnificent breakdown.
Where the band really hit the sweet spot, is on the gob-smacking Slaves. With a bassline and guitar riff you could listen to all day, irresistible drums and a talking-verse/shouting-chorus, Slaves is a seamless synthesis of GANG OF FOUR and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. There are moments on this album where the many worthy influences are disparate but here, they are blended together harmoniously and it’s a wonderful thing. The album climaxes with the near six minute, Leeds-via-Los Angeles RAGE of To Serve And Slaughter, a fist-waving, anti-war protest anthem that never outstays it’s welcome.
The press blurb for this release mentions MINOR THREAT, INCISIONS, GANG OF FOUR and WIRE. Toss in the bands mentioned earlier and it’s clear that ELECTRIC PRESS are gleefully throwing everything at the wall in the hope that it sticks and, for the most part, they are successful. Ragwort is a hugely impressive debut. If they can rein in and refine their influences, the next release should be a juicy prospect indeed.
Limited to 50 on Fluorescent Green cassette and streaming, available now from:
PERSONAL PUNK 