For a band that’s not even been around for two years, Joey Terrifying has played a whole truckload of shows. That’s a good sign as you put ‘This Is Your Future’ into the player; a truly shit band wouldn’t have played 100+ gigs in such a short time, right? Right (well, in this case anyway). This is the second release from the Dundee quartet, following 2008’s ‘The First Demo’, and it proves to be a solid offering that probably owes more to rock ‘n’ roll than it does skacore. You can bet the band is labelled ‘ska’ though.
Opening track ‘What Treachery Is This’ starts out with a subtle big-rock build-up that wouldn’t be completely out of place if it was played by a certain chart-bothering Scottish band. For the opening minute it’s all about big guitars and the mangling of rock and punk. And then the upstrokes make an appearance, which adds another dimension to the sound, but never turns it simply into a skacore track.
The following track and EP standout ‘Express Yourself Clearly’, feels akin to the likes of Kickback UK and The Junk. Its focus is on rocking out, whilst dipping a toe in ska waters. Lyrically it’s an ode to the D.I.Y scene, a middle finger salute to the kids who watch Scuzz TV and don’t go to gigs. A real gem this one. ‘Getaway Driver’ is a gnarly little number to close the release, littered with some groovy basslines and a spit-in-the-face aesthetic. It’s probably this track that best showcases the gravel-rough vocals of singer, Deeker.
Put all together and there’s a marked improvement on the previous release. For a record that was apparently recorded in just six hours, there’s a good vibe to it. It sounds rough enough to parade a D.I.Y ethic, but not so rough that you find yourself unnecessarily barraged by it. There is a sense that the band may just be holding a little back so it’ll be interesting to see how Joey Terrifying follows this up. For now though, this is rousing stuff.
Alex