Pizzatramp.  what can one say about a band like Pizzatramp who’ve in fairness been around for ages done some amazing shows and done some shit shows that were amazing and written a tonne of songs that are short shorter and shortest and love to use a profanity or two and aren’t keen on Bono, bad backs and Goths but quite like booze punk rock and drugs.

You know what you’re going to get with a pizzatramp record and that’s lots of short sharp hardcore punk rock they were good when they first started doing this and to be fair ‘Grand Relapse’ they’ve pretty much nailed it in the sound – the songcraft – and the performance.  when Dan didn’t turn up at Rebellion we did wonder but once we saw the videos for a couple of the new songs we just knew that these boys were on fire (I’m sure there are some who wish they were quite literally on fire).

The artwork is classic Pizzatramp and to open with the frantic drill down of ‘Captain Sea Org’ and the smattering of C Bombs appeals to my inner child and I love it its a fuckin’ rush of a song and in true Hardcore fashion it doesn’t hang about and with a massive FU Pizzatramp are in the house.

As we hurtle along the songs get better and better ‘Millions Of Dead Goths’ is a bit harsh but what a fuckin’ Banger of a tune Dan’s drumming is sensational as is the sound they ring out of those instruments. Sammy Two Cabs has perfected the hardcore glug and rumble on that bass guitar and captured it to perfection in the studio which is no easy task as ‘Gone Full Mitchell’. This is pure gold and Jimmy No Wammy is belching out those lyrics like Caldicot’s Beddis meets Tom Araya if Araya chose the Hardcore path and not the screaming diablo loving metal behemoth he chose (or chose him) ‘There’s bin a moida’ maintains the quality and I begin to wonder if they can continue this momentum or will they crash and burn? ‘137995’ is like their Van Halen I guess as Danny bang bang does his bang bang and if only Van Halen had played like this it’s almost prog-like clocking in at over two and a half minutes it’s like a pizzatramp rock – opera.

They manage to have two consecutive songs clocking in at 1:11 seconds which took some doing especially as ‘I Got Work In THe Morning’ sees the band take a mature turn as they get all conscientious and intro it with some trip hop boyzzz.

To be fair it doesn’t get boring at all and you’ll find yourself smirkin’ more and more as you realise the band has indeed maintained an incredible standard throughout the fifteen songs as ‘Neville Clartos’ thrashes into ‘Nappy Thrash’ which you won’t be hearing on the radio any day soon. and to finish the album with the brilliant left hook right hook of ‘Stop Being A Racist Cunt’ how nicely put and perfectly delivered (no say what you really think boys) I doff my cap and firmly jump inline with their view and it could only get better with ‘Nobhammer’ wrapping this fucker up with its bruising three and a half minutes of punk rock awesomeness.  Pizzatramp have delivered the good make no mistake about that and anyone who doubts them needs to have a long hard look at themselves.  A band who know what they like and know how to deliver on record exactly how Hardcore should sound whilst maintaining a sense of humour. Regardless of what they might tell you, They’ve been thoroughly professional about this record and I think it’s fair to inform you that there won’t be a better Hardcore album released all year I think I can safely predict that even this early into 2019.  ‘Grand Relapse’ is the fuckin’ Biz!

Buy Grand Relapse Here

Author: Dom Daley