Lets get one thing straight from the start; ‘Rock The Fuck On Forever’ is probably the best album title of the year so far, right? Of course it means that Angel Du$t needed to make sure that their second album rocks harder than anything else right now. Thankfully, they have succeeded. It is a 13-track wild ride from start to finish, that races by in the blink of an eye.
Across their ‘Xtra Raw’ 7”, and debut album, ‘A.D’ back in 2014, they were still finding their feet. They have always been a world away from vocalist Justice Tripp’s main band, Trapped Under Ice, but both releases were disjointed, and failed to leave the impression they should have. They were overshadowed by their close friends Turnstile, who’s ‘Non-Stop Feeling’ catapulted them among the stars, meaning Angel Du$t had some catching up to do.
With each track barely touching the two-minute mark, they pack a punch, and insist on getting stuck in your head no matter how much you try to ignore them. Falling somewhere between Bad Brains and Lemonheads, and guided by nagging vocal melodies, anthems such as ‘Stay’, ‘Hurt You Bad’, and ‘Deep Love’ are utterly intoxicating.
The most noticeable difference on ‘Rock The Fuck On Forever’ is the assured confidence in Tripp’s vocals. The power that permeates his voice while fronting Trapped Under Ice has been channelled in a different way. He soars in all the right places, with on-point phrasing. Tripp fills every available space of ‘Headstone’, and the saccharine ‘Twist n Shout’ where possible. He is complimented by bright, major key guitar lines, which are married perfectly to a treacle thick, airtight rhythm section.
While there are still traces of hardcore across the album, leaning towards old school hooks that can be likened to that of Gorilla Biscuits and Lifetime, the focus is on melody. The verses are frantic, the choruses are huge, and each break down will bring out more hip shaking than it will spin kicking.
Hardcore will always be around, but every so often, it needs a new shot in the arm. Something to shake things up a bit, and embrace that embraces other elements. ‘Rock The Fuck On Forever’ is a welcome breathe of fresh air, and real step up for Angel Du$t. It is now their time to shine.
GLEN BUSHELL