2020 has been a bit of a musical shit stain. It began well and thanks to Nottingham’s Scene Killers it’ll at least end in style.

 

Scene Killers are kind of a punk rock supergroup made up of Jesse Luscious from Blatz, Hip Priests guitar hero Austin Rocket along with TV Crime’s rhythm section John G Warrior and Luke J Moss.

 

Their debut EP, ‘Rev it Up’ is a six song fifteen minute manic joy ride lovingly brought to you by those very nice people at No Front Teeth Records.

 

Join me on a magical journey of discovery as we step into this lovely slab of toxic snot splatter vinyl

 

On first play, I’m hearing bits of Circle jerks, Germs, OFF!, Poison Idea, and moreover a Wednesday 13 fronted Misfits. On the second, third, and fourth play I’m liking it more and more…..

 

Opener ‘Rev it Up’ is full-on face shredding stuff with some off-kilter guitar harmonics and even some Scott Ian like backing vocals at the end.

 

The second tune ‘Not So Working Class’ is no let up, full bore fist in the air stuff.

 

‘Divided”s crushing bass intro gives way to a more mid-pace menacing tune. A moment to catch your breath but no less as skull pounding as the other tunes on offer.

 

‘Eyes and Ears’ is a horror fuelled classic- “war peace ignorance strength” it screams in equal measures punk rawk and hardcore.

 

Next up is Scene Killer’s take on The Replacements ‘Colour Me Impressed’. Can the original really be 37 years old???  A mighty fine take on a mighty fine tune with Jesse’s Wednesday 13 like delivery adding a perfect degree of menace.

 

‘Death’ somewhat aptly brings the EP to a close and it’s full on Misfits-inspired Horror Punk anthem. It’s probably the most immediate tune on the record and the one that’ll grind it’s way into the memory first.

 

The cool thing about this record is the way it grows on you more and more with every play. It’s certainly a record that’ll stay with you for a while rather than scratching that itch before it joins it’s 12” friends in the great record pile.

 

Find your way to their Bandcamp page and give them 15 quid for the prettiest angry slice of vinyl this side of Satan’s tea shop –  Here and then send dick pics to their Facebook page – Here

 

When an album begins with a howl of feedback the levels of anticipation are heightened.  Wring your hands with expectations and suppress you impending hypertension.  Woosh! we’re off, Dirty Cheetah is in the house with their dirty noisy punk rock played with reckless abandon.  Its big sloppy riffs crash bang wallop on those drums and shouty chanty vocals.  ‘Addicted’ hell yeah!  but it only gets better as ‘Dr. Jerkoff’ rattles out of the speakers like The Briefs riffin’ on The Stitches riffin’ on Devo.

Spread out over ten juicy tracks with twisted lyrics and no doubt a tongue firmly implanted in one’s cheek. It speeds along nicely with tracks like ‘Got Caught’ leaping out above the rest with its Ramones riff n rhythm but if you’re looking for an album to see you through the boredom of pandemics and lockdowns then this is it.  Turn it up leap around break stuff and who doesn’t like the slash riffs like ‘Dioxide’?  Not me kiddies I love it!

If an album cover ever summed up what hides beneath the sleeve then it’s this one.  Smoking, Swinging whilst the house burns probably caused by the individual depicted.  ‘After You’ sounds like classic Dead Boys if I’m being honest with added guitar lick.  Its got a hint of Black Halos in the verse and that’s always gonna win me over. pushing the running time to just under four minutes almost makes this one punk prog but fear not we’re back to the classic two minutes on ‘Psycho-Pat’ with its Agnostic Front like gang vocals.

The album signs off with a hint of Motorhead riffage on ‘I Need It’ and I do.  An album that gets lit up from the get-go and keeps on burning throughout and the more you play it the better it gets.  Go order it and order that baseball bat whilst you’re at it you will want to practice your swing.

Buy ‘Never Too Late’ Here

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Author: Dom Daley

 

Canada does it again I don’t know what they’re putting in the water up there but fuck me sideways they’ve got the rock and roll happening all over the country at the moment no doubt about it and Isolation Party join the, Um, Party!

Post punk power pop with melody and enough Buzzcock vibe going on to reel you in Isolation Party are more than that. Songs like the happy go lucky ‘Fine Lines’ remind me of the trashy elements of The Replacements.  there isn’t much polish going around but the tunes are really hitting the spot.

 

They keep up the trashy power pop noise going on ‘Mr Telephone’ as it hurtles along sounding like when Dando recorded ‘Lick’ but with more melody. The songs are short and oh so sweet with plenty of snot mixing it with New Yorkers Wyldlife and Baltimore’s  Ravagers Isolation Party are the real deal.  The Briefs and The Stitches must have a bearing on Isolation Party’s record collection because they dance to the same beats on tracks like the frantic ‘Pointing fingers’ and how can you not love ‘Sleeves’? for all its trashy drug talk and bittersweet melodies.

Throughout the ten tracks, the band weaves a really enjoyable tapestry of twisted melodies and its very listenable and fairly instant as well. I guess if you have even a mild interest in any of the bands that I’ve referenced then you really should check out Isolation Party because they’ve definitely got the chops and this album is really consistent and most definitely doesn’t fade away and right up to the last chorus of ‘These Things’ I know I’m going to hit repeat and go right back to the beginning and play it all over again.  Great album!

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Author: Dom Daley

When No Front Teeth Records issue a new record there’s something like a bat signal goes up over the city so all the sleazy cats know to raid their nan’s purse to gather the funds to pay for a copy.  The Flesh Of The City is the latest release and when they said it was a bit of Gaggers and a bit of Miscalculations and a bit of Shanghai Wires it was a given we’d have a copy.

Sounding like a bit of one and a riff of the other it’s no surprise that Marco has his stamp all over this.  Sounding like a heavily spiked Buzzcocks melody on opener ‘The Visceral Jolt’ which is pretty much the theme throughout to be fair. as soon as one finishes the next rough diamond kicks in.  ‘The Patron Saint Of Murder’ has a dash of early Manics about it more so in the melody and perhaps the subject matter. With the album, an old school split of four on side A and four on side B it’s not going to be prog lengthed tunes either so it’s sharp and to the point.  There is a lo-fi style to the production which is something of a trademark and it does remind me of Tubeway Army as well in the delivery of the songs, with a pretty simple set up.  I’m also getting pre Ant Music Adam and the Ants especially on songs like ‘Cadaver In Waiting’ which is almost new wave rather than angular punk and the use of the spoken words sort of draws in the bands I’ve mentioned so far.

The title track kicks off side two and with its Pete Shelley minimal guitar break but the tom thumping on the chorus is what makes this the stand out track as the bass rumbles on it’s a great song plain and simple. ‘Taking Credit For Other Peoples Ideas’ sounds like the way The Cure should have gone had they headed through the punk door and not the Goth door.  There is a familiarity about the chorus here and it’s not until later that I find myself repeating the melody.

Its a really solid way to jump into 2019 that with an album I know I was going to like before I dropped the needle and when I had I was so pleased that it met my expectations there is even a hint of Blondie about ‘Hide Your Face’ and to close the album the band smash it by taking it up a notch or two with ‘Inside You’ again with that Joy Division like guitar lick on the end of the verse its a pleasure to hear it all works like a well-oiled machine.  I really enjoyed The Flesh Of The Citys debut and would highly recommend it to anyone with good taste in punk rock and new wave its a winner.

Buy Here