I would hazard a guess that if you have already read the name of the band and the name of the album, you have worked out what’s on offer here. 24 songs in under half an hour – UK hardcore played straight down the line and with a view to putting the world to rights, played by members of Ripcord, a band from the mid-eighties I am too young to have appreciated, but heard stalwarts mention when in conjunction with the good old days.
We aren’t talking subtlety – track titles like ‘Shit for Brains’ and ‘Youth Violence’ fill you right in. It’s crisply done stuff – played with conviction, nice and severe and tight as fuck. It reminds me a lot of European bands like Discipline – aggressive and to the point. What is impressive is that some of the tunes are pretty easy to get into – memorable hooks. Lead track ‘Kill Me First’ sets the tone. It’s not another band that passes you by with a blur of sub-one minute tracks that blend one into another. Similarly – we are not talking a Ceremony record – it’s not so intense that it leaves you wondering if you can get a cup of tea and a sit down.
The vocals grate a bit – the singer kind of reminds me of Rob from 4ft Fingers, but without the melody. It’s about as English as English gets, but begins to lose its charm half way through. That aside, good to see hardcore being played so simply and effectively.
Mike