Now I have to admit that I was looking forward to this baby hitting the virtual deck, especially after hearing and reviewing the debut, trouble was I thought I knew what to expect, how wrong could I be? As is often the case with Sophomore releases the music advances at such a rate as the band begins to Gel and more influences are brought to the fore and the players own taste changes and mutates giving you something very different.

Introduction to this baby “Sunrise” has a very 60’s garage rock/psychedelic feel and then “Walking Backwards into the Future” snarls its way out of the speaker, echoing Iggy and the stooges, real time garage rock/punk hybridisation. Next up “Instrument” introduces a very different slant, heavier more intense with almost an Industrial underpinning, maintaining the garage sound but bringing it bang up to date. Three tracks in and I’m bouncing around the room and then a pause hang on did I just have that almost psychedelic interlude? Must have been the drugs because then everything just ramps up a gear within Instrument! “Bigots Vs the mad professor” to me draws down that early Seattle garage sound introduced by bands like The Gits before its over way too Quickly. “Rinse Repeat Rinse” throws another curveball, hitting almost a post punk vibe before “Keep moving” has the perfectly sampled intro/interlude before sending you down another wormhole with almost a trip hop background, a great point to take a breath, this is seriously good stuff, right up my street its all over the place while holding on to the garage punk DIY Ethos.

“We make Bombs to Feel safe” has one of those riffs that build and build, the intensity being led from the lyrics, and again that curve ball kicks in leaving you smiling. There are some seriously good ideas here, at times reminiscent of Killing Joke.

FUck me what’s this!!! Before “Letter from Yootha” kicks in at 100mph, and then we’re into “First they ignore you” again this moves to a very different beat, swirling esoteric guitar work, but still that incessant punk riff picking at you from the background. “Liberez Wayne Kramer” again is one of those interludes, before “Johns Gone” again dropping fully into that post punk vibe, this is potentially my fave on the LP, alongside “We make bombs” it’s all over the place. “Seek shelter” another corker, starts with the white noise that all us gig goers live with, before again we have that dark Killing Joke edge.

This is a seriously good LP, Dealing with Damage are really finding their feet embracing their influences, throwing them in the mixer and coming up with something unique. “Write it down” is flat out from the intro, hard edged picking at you, drawing you in. Next in “May I help you” again provides the interlude to “Sunset” before we’re back into that 60s Psychedelica with “Sunset” bringing the LP through a full cycle, looping you backwards to the beginning.

This is an LP that everyone needs to listen too, more mature than the debut, packed with ideas and bringing a distinctly new sound to the place, get it on repeat, purchase it, buy the t-shirt and more to the point enjoy a fucking good LP. Can’t wait to try to catch them live (Camden Rocks next year maybe?)

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Author: Nev Brooks