I always ponder what’s in an album title, what it says about a band, and where are they sending us purely on the title before you hear a single song or note in fact. The ‘Soundtrack’ is obviously a widescreen title and conjures up all sorts of images without tying the band to a particular genre. No photo to go off, no artwork drawing or such like more a blank canvas or a burnt orange with some typewriter text hidden in the background to feint for these old eyes but not wanting to pigeonhole them into a field that they don’t belong or that they can’t escape but as soon as the opening ‘Title Sequence’ fades it’s like a headfuck from a Saw cut scene filmed in a Townhill basement is unfolding in your ears before ‘Ultra HD Happy Face’ kicks off. With its tribal floor toms signalling the fire is lit under what is a heaving, weaving mass of sound from the chanted vocals to the chaotic guitar soloing to the thumping throbbing bass line this is good stuff and I like it a lot. Its like Helmet and therapy? using Marilyn Mansons rhythm sections while off its tits on Ket and racing around in a stolen car like an audio headfuck of Twin Town meets Saw. Whats not to like?

‘Brainfreeze’ is a modern twist on The Fall pissed up and looking for trouble with the lightweights of Fontains and Idles sounding lame in comparison. the raging vocals work well and the chorus is right on the money. All nicely pulled together to make perfect sense with a really full-blooded production that this record needed. Imagine Janes Addiction heading out in 2024 with the whole world of alt noise bringers doing whatever the hell they like well that will bring you to the same curve as the chaotic ‘tHe AnTi SuNcrEAM LeaGUe’ is the wrong two ends of a magnet trying to gel but you know they can’t but you still try. Kicking off over its three-plus minutes of pure rage n chaos like being kicked in the head and loving it especially when it rattles your jaw. Tom Richards & Richie Lewis both play guitars and both handle vocals and it works really well throughout but its the rhythm of Drummer Tom Williams pouring petrol on the fire that being ably fanned by the Bass walking of Andrew Evans that holds Baby Schillaci together making it a tight machine enabling all the chaos to make perfect sense on this post-punk noise rock soundtrack.

They’ve considerately thrown in an eery ‘interval’ so you can go get some more psychotics to help get you through side two and help it make perfect sense static, keyboard stabs and howls make up the filler but hurry up deadbolt the locks because ‘Disintegrating Small Talk’ is about to begin with its heavily treated drum beat and dripping bass lick before gaining momentum once the vocals kick in. Not a million miles from something the Manics might have had in mind at their darkest ‘Holy Bible’ moments or Gary Numan ventured down after working with Trent Rezner.

so as to further mess with your genre-obsessed label ‘Jackie’s Girl’ might just be the absolute pinnacle of this fine record. The band are chests out head high kicking out the jams and owning it.

‘Flatliners’ paints a dark space that very quickly escalates into a full-blooded aural assault before falling back with a bulging bass line and some lush vocals before scorching earth and taking off in all directions. It ebbs and flows filling every corner with sounds that are harsh and loud but juxtaposed with a nicely sung vocal and melody playing with your head. In confusing times this is indeed the soundtrack and the theme is headfuck, the vocals escalate and the song is raging in the bleak night with an exceptional production and sounds bouncing off every corner there is no blank space left unfilled before finally calming down to a conclusion. Fantastic again but we’re no nearer a pigeonhole or a genre we can nail these South Walians to.

This could be a massive hit but it wouldn’t be a fluke on this records showing thus far before giving the listener a raging circle pit of riff a rama that is ‘Kumite’. Leaving ‘Blunt Force Trauma’ to lose off what has been a mightily impressive album that just gets better with every play. these boys can play and these boys can write top tunes. They’ve left nothing behind and for an opening record, it’s got the lot – melody, style, chaos and confidence and a pocket full of tunes. Blunt Force Trauma is the anthem they leave you with from the brushed acoustic to the phat bass lines with the Astbury hushed vocals it’s a mightily impressive offering. Don’t just take my advice think for yourself and get an earful of the mighty Baby Schillaci don’t worry about the after effects just enjoy the moment – rock n roll comes in all shapes and sizes and this has been ‘The Soundtrack’ Embrace it!

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Author: doM DAle_y

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