The Yalla Yallas – ‘A World At The End Of The World’ (Self-Released)

The Yalla Yallas – ‘A World At The End Of The World’ (Self-Released)

Leeds noisenicks The Yalla Yallas follow up their 2021 album ‘What It Means To Be Human’ with a thought-provoking 6th studio album entitled ‘A World At The End Of The World’. Self-produced and recorded at Loom studios in West Yorkshire, we join singer/songwriter and main protagonist Rob Galloway on a retrospective trip through the cosmos where he questions our whole existence, searches to find out what is real, declares undying love to at least one girl, and ends up hanging out with Elvis, or something, before the end of the world.

With an album title that gives a ray of hope in spite the impending doom, first single ‘Atomic Clock’ offers a ‘no fucks given’ approach, a welcome return to the uncompromising, high energy rock n’ roll the band are known for. But the interesting thing about this album is that The Yalla Yallas throw about some unexpected curve balls through the 9 songs on offer, and it starts right from the word go.

Opener ‘Dream Out Loud (Parts I,II and III)’ is a 5-minute plus, slow burning epic affair full of atmospherics and devious intentions. It builds on a sole, picked acoustic guitar and Rob’s lonesome vocal. A sound that immediately draws the listener in, demanding their full attention. The ebb and flow create cinematic vibes, whether it be the Slash-like guitar noodling from Will Grinder or the chilled outro, full of spacey, sound effects. It sets the scene for a journey of sorts.

Elsewhere, the Bad Seeds influenced ‘Down At The Zoo’ is a 12-bar blues anthem for outcasts and socials rejects. An instantly catchy hook, regimental beats and a laid back but confident swagger make it an early highlight. Some say it’s grim up North, but the band somehow manage to channel Ennio Morricone vibes creating their own West Yorkshire spaghetti western with ‘Drive Me Out Of Town’.

The likes of ‘Reset’ and ‘Hey Brian!’ are more in tune with what we have come to expect from The Yalla Yallas. Full of driving beats, rock guitars and a spoken word extract courtesy of The Rebel Poet (David Holmes), ‘Reset’ is the sound of a band on a charge, and ‘Hey Brian!’ is a low-slung rock n’ roll affair with Rob doing his best Bobbie Gillespie over a shoutathon of a chorus.

Taking things right down with a tinkling of the ivories, acoustic guitars and brushes on skins, is the delicate sounds of ‘Barcelona (Absolution)’. Cinematic in its approach and delivery, it’s a song that is as instant as it is fresh sounding. With a well thought out structure, a less is more approach and a cool outro hook with a spoken word diatribe Patti Smith would be proud of, it’s an album highlight for me.

With any Yalla Yallas album there’s gotta be a radio friendly potential single, and ‘(Baby Baby) I Love You’ is ‘AWATEOTW’s hidden gem. An upbeat song full of joy and positivity with an earworm of a chorus. Imagine the sound of early U2 with Steve Jones cranking out the guitars and you might get close.

The raucous punk n’ roll of ‘Elvis (You Gotta Shake)’ finishes things up nicely with cool bass runs, neat licks and added “uh-huh’s” for good measure.

‘A World At The End Of The World’ is a strong return from a Northern band that are well known for their high-energy, sweat-drenched live shows. Rob and his band of brothers have created an album that is raw and ramshackle and delivered from the heart. It sees the band challenge themselves as songwriters to step outside of their comfort zone and create a diverse sounding set of songs with themes of escapism and searching for new horizons. It’s good to have them back and look forward to catching these songs live in the near future.

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Authpr: Ben Hughes

Poison Boys/Jonesy – ‘Split’ (Ghost Highway Records)

Poison Boys/Jonesy – ‘Split’ (Ghost Highway Records)

Six of one and almost half a dozen of the other. Man I love a good split LP, Ghost Highway is good at delivering split records be it 7″ or 12″ they tend to get it right when they pick bands to split. First up one of our favourites at RPMHQ has to be Poison Boys not content with a new record of all their early singles in one convenient record they’re hitting Spain for a quick tour and it makes sense to hook up with one of the best labels dishing out Rock n Roll on the continent in Ghost Highway who’ve pulled in six tunes from Poison Boys being five originals and one from filthy rock n rollas Jonesy from outta Canada.

Of the original tunes they’ve included the most excellent ‘Knocked Down Again’ a tune RPM were pleased to have premiered for the band late last year alongside the opener ‘The Searcher’ with its bruising bovver boy punch rocker. The band are delivering that sleazy Johnny Thunders meets Toilet Boys Rock with plenty of attitude as good if not better than anyone else out there at the moment. The harmonica honkin down n dirty ‘Sleaze City’ is pure 100% Punk n Roll it’s like the dirtiest of early Aerosmith being kicked around the Lower East Side by some nasty punks and the wandering gob iron mixed with that barroom piano is the best night out in one three minute rock n roll song I’ve had the privilege of for a while.

By the time you reach their take on Jonesys ‘Messin Around’ you should get the picture for what these boys are about. truly fantastic, reckless rock n roll and taking an already top tune and owning it isn’t something anyone can do so this makes it top-notch and a winner every time it bursts out of the speakers.

Flip this bad boy over and enter Jonesy and their good time filthy Rock n Roll. ‘8 Track Mind’ begins with a lounge laid-back set of smooth keys and handclaps and then the party begins and builds up slowly and smoothly to the wonderful guitar solo. Not what I was expecting at all but hey it’s a touch of class. Then the shots get downed and someone let the gatecrashers in and the sleazy ‘Down’ turns the Amps up but not to a wrecking ball more a measured scarface coolness as Jonesy ease themselves into this split.

They then offer up their take on the Poison Boys ‘Can’t Get You Out’ and now were cooking. A class tune gets the Jonesy treatment like a proper yob job on those gang vocals and hey presto it’s like a long-lost Hanoi Rocks tune. Marvellous.

‘Only Shams’ is a beast of a lick before heading off like one of those Toilet Boys flaming guitars. Two very different bands doing their thing to a wonderful level and both offering the very best, say two sides of the same coin. It would be a split decision if it were a cage fight but I’d expect them both to fight dirty. If you’ve never heard either band now is the time to get involved and jump on board you won’t be disappointed in the slightest if you are I’d check for a pulse because you might just be dead. Buy It! Banger!

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FIZZ/Maya Delilah – Tramshed, Cardiff – 23rd February 2024

FIZZ/Maya Delilah – Tramshed, Cardiff – 23<sup>rd</sup> February 2024

Rewind to Christmas 2023 and RPM’s Albums Of The Year podcasts. During the second broadcast when the gang were running through Ben Hughes’ album list, he advised us all of a record called ‘The Secret To Life’ by a still relatively new band called FIZZ, which in his wise words, told us all “you’ll love this Johnny, its very Jellyfish like powerpop”. I of course immediately needed to know more as Ben certainly knows his stuff, so with Google at hand I went on a musical adventure to discover what the hell he was raving on about and after a couple of false starts (I rather foolishly watched the videos before listening to the album) I finally started to understand, and love ‘The Secret To Life’. It’s an album that truly transcends genres (hence why watching the videos first wasn’t exactly the best way to get to know them) and oozes positivity, and it’s safe to say if I had known back then what I know now, it would have plain sailed into the number 1 spot in my own albums of the year 2023. The rather obvious next step on my journey of musical discovery being to experience what the four members of the band (Greta Isaac, Orla Gartland, Martin Luke Brown and dodie) would do with such an extraordinary record in the live setting.

I’m apparently not alone in my quest either, as tonight the downstairs in the Tramshed is packed out, filled mainly with a much younger demographic than yours truly, a large contingent also dressed up in some way to resemble tonight’s headliners, and you know what, for the first time in years I feel like I’m experiencing something new and exciting scene wise. The PA might be blasting out Andrew Gold, ELO and Boney M (making it feel a bit like I’m back at one of my old school discos) but FIZZ and their community of fans are very much about how you can bin all the negativity in life here in 2024 and simply just enjoy yourself, and that right there is exactly what going to a live show should be all about.

There’s a stark contrast to some of the other audiences I’ve been in most recently, as not only have I’ve never seen the bar area quieter in the Tramshed, but also during the support set by singer/songwriter Maya Delilah there is a hushed reverence and respect for the artiste from the audience that is a model example of how one should behave during a solo show. And why shouldn’t there be, you’ve paid your hard earned to get in, so sit back (or stand back, in tonight’s case) and immerse yourself in a world outside of your own, you’ll never know what you might discover. As it happens Maya Delilah delivers a fine 30-minute set that in equal measure has me thinking of Pink Floyd (guitar tone) Jeff Buckley (in the dissonance of the songwriting) and early Amy Winehouse (in the vocal delivery), the later almost coincidently the last time I witnessed someone being told to “shut the fuck up” during a live show for talking during her set. There’s no need for any such warnings tonight though as Maya seems genuinely blown away by the respect and reaction she is afforded and I for one shall be looking to join her 300,000 monthly listeners online to find out more.

Looking at the stage set up complete with larger than life lollipops and candy canes and a backdrop not to dissimilar to the ‘Bellybutton’ album sleeve, part of me wants FIZZ to appear on stage in their own mode of transport just like the Banana Splits did when they first wowed me into loving pop music, and to some degree they do just this, albeit via the power of imagination as we are treated to an intro tape that has us all onboard a space ship set for Fizzvile just as its about to crash land in Cardiff, as the countdown commences I find myself grinning from ear to ear and that’s before the band (complete with additional rhythm section) have even played a single note. Bursting onto the stage like all conquering heroes the screams that go up remind me of when I saw King back in 1985 and you’ll have to forgive me if I get something in my eye as ‘High In Brighton’ literally takes the roof off the place.

For the next 60 plus minutes we are treated to pretty much all the band’s stellar debut album, a carefully selected track from each of the four members solo careers (which fit in seamlessly)   along with a FIZZ’ed up cover of Lily Allen’s ‘Smile’ and the time I spend in the band’s company simply flies by, largely in part due to the fact that the band themselves look like they are loving every second of their time up on stage, and its infectious, you know.

Highlights are plentiful, but for me it is main set closer ‘The Grand Finale’ in all of it’s Queen-like pomposity that illustrates just how talented this group really are, and then of course there’s the encore of the album’s title track complete with a bubble gun, a cat glove puppet and Thomas The Tank Engine outro tape to send us all of into the night not so much wondering what we’d just experienced as what an experience it was. If FIZZ had existed in the ‘70s, trust me, they would have had their own TV show, they are that kind of band, one much larger than life itself and the fact that they have tapped into the secret of this is what makes it all so bloody perfect. Tonight was the most I’ve enjoyed myself at a gig in years, and all I had to do was be in the moment. Joyous stuff!

Author: Johnny Hayward

Slade – ‘The New Victoria’ / ‘Till Deaf Do Us Part’ (BMG Records)

Slade – ‘The New Victoria’ / ‘Till Deaf Do Us Part’ (BMG Records)

2024 sees no let up in the re-release of the Slade back catalogue many on vinyl for the first time or at least wonderful coloured variant represses. Let’s take a wander through Studio album number god knows how many Slade were turning the amps up there with the best of em and ear-shattering powerful boogie hard rock had shifted the Glam stomping of what made the band such a household name in the 70s. With Holder’s vocals in fine fettle, they could certainly go toe to toe with the biggest and best. the previous releases prove that from the Reading LP, they were a formidable live act and in the studio, they could turn out hit after hit.

The power that was ushered to the forefront through the barnstorming opener ‘Rock n Roll Preacher’ Followed by the bluesy ‘Lock Up Your Daughter’ the band could still deliver and probably deserved more respect than they got. I’m still not convinced with the keyboards and after all these years I’m still of the same opinion Slade didn’t need to move with what was hip or trendy they had the tools to rock n roll in the vocals and guitar department anyway never mind the super tight rhythm section that was a match for any band on either side of the Atlantic.

The title track reminds me of The Who, Super Yob was certainly in form throughout this record. I’d love to hear a mix without the keys especially on the bluesy ‘M’hat M’Coat’ it sounds more like Gary Moore than Slade. But to be fair when they just got on with the Rock n Roll they still cut it. Their sense of humour is still intact through the lyrics and the song titles ‘Knuckle Sandwich Nancy’ is a particular highlight. Sure it’s not as good as some of the earlier releases but worth shelling out for the collection for sure.

To be fair the real beacon of light out of these pair of releases from Slade has to be the live concert LP recorded in the ‘New Victoria’ It did come out on CD as part of the Worlds A Stage Box set that came out recently and alongside the Reading tapes, this is one Hell of a concert. Recorded in 75 at the peak of the bands powers. Its twelve tracks from a 1975 show on vinyl for the first time and packs a rather splendid punch from the opening ‘Them Kinda Monkeys Can’t Swing’ is the signal for a riotous performance from one of the world best live bands at the time. No question they were at the zenith of what a party could be had at a Rock and Roll show.

The tracklist is packed with dance floor fillers and mile-wide grin guarantees. ‘Gudbuy T’Jane’ a spectacular ‘Far Far Away’ from ‘In Flames’ and the breather that is ‘How Does It Feel’ before the roof gets blow off with the awesome ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ before closing off what sounds like a spectacular night with the chart-topping legendry ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ and for any aspiring rock and roll band wondering how to turn in some top tunes bristling with energy and delivered with the utmost professionalism then look no further than Slade live at the new Victoria. Its a keeper just buy it!

Buy New Victoria Here Buy Till Deaf Here

Author: Dom Daley

Hunting Lions – ‘King Of The Avenue’ (Pirates Press’)

Hunting Lions – ‘King Of The Avenue’ (Pirates Press’)

Of course its on Pirates Press for they’re the perfect label for some excellent polished oi meets street punk rock n roll. From the opening verse and chorus of ‘The City’ you’re already singing along with the gang on this rather fine slice of street punk.  Including past and present members of The Swingin’ Utters, The Beltones, Roadside Bombs, Hometown Addiction, Resilience, The Burdens, and more. They were formed at the beginning of the pandemic, and have the mission statement of playing roots rock n roll with a bootstomping rhythm and a fistfull of top tunes. You know what, they delivered exactly that.

Its got a spit and polish of some guys who’ve been around the block once or twice and know how to make a gret sounding record. Each of the ten tracks is powerfully delivered and arranged to perfection. Early doors you have the bass thumping runaway train that is ‘War’ I get shades of Living End in the arrangment but by the halfway point the songs are varied from the uptempo rock of ‘BNO’ to the melodic ‘Dead Generation’ with its strong message and gang vocal chorus it sounds like the perfect band for a good saturday night out with mates checking out the rock n roll show.

They even have time to slow things down for the intro of ‘Little Girl’ before it soars like a good SLF song. The upside of those long arduous lockdowns was a lot of bands were forced to work on their craft and out of all that isolation we have albums like this. ‘Good Riddence’ is a strong rock song no fuss or pretentions just five guys kicking out the jams. ‘King Of The Avenue’ is a strong avenue from top to bottom and they even find the time for a punk rock roots take on ‘Hungry Heart’ which they do very well to be fair leaving only ‘Nothing Wrong’ to sign this project off with as they ride off into the distance with a hot rod snarling rocker. If you like your Californian Punk Rock n Roll loud and full of melody with uplifting choruses that the gang can all get involved in then Hunting Lions might just be your new favourite band.

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Angel Face – ‘Angel Face’ (Slovenly Records)

Angel Face – ‘Angel Face’ (Slovenly Records)

I’m always a bit miffed when I see a Japanese glam scuzzy punk rock n roll band breaking through in the West. I know a lot of bands who tour Japan always say how awesome it was touring the land of the rising sun and how energetic and cool the place is especially for lo-fi punk n roll so why aren’t we deluged with household names? Hell knows because I don’t. Well, slovenly know a thing or two about scuzzy punk n roll because they’ve been dishing it up for a couple of decades and rarely do they not hit the mark with the bands they introduce you to. Add Angel Face to that impressive list because from the off these cats are struttin like peacocks knocking out Generation X meets Hanoi meets Dead Boys meets The Parkinsons style punk n roll.

This record is crammed full of banging melodies and hooks by the time you hit the earworm ‘USA’ you’ll be spilling beers and pogoing like a good un. ‘Big City’ is as snotty as those early Hanoi tunes but this one has a borrowed Waldos riff. Man, side one is done and dusted and it flew by and I absolutely loved it!

Come on everybody clap your hands, ‘I Can’t Stop’ is a decibel raising party in your speakers. I hope they were suss enough to get their band name from the Glitter Band track. The fact I can’t find anything on the World Wide Web about them only makes me like them more.

‘Bring Me Back’ unleashes some nasty Cheetah Chrome riffage that we should all love and it also evokes some of that Cavemen recklessness, I bet these would dish up one hell of a party in your pad if they were invited. There is a freshness and innocence about this and thats alluring but they’re tight in the right places like the snotty Thin Lizzy riff-a-rama that is ‘That’s Enough’. Hell, we’ve reached the end and all thats left is a speed enthused ramage through ‘Slippin and Slidin’ which is wonderful and sounds like the perfect take to bring this riot to an end. Lie down in a darkened room for five then put it on again but another notch louder let’s do shots to go with the beers that we’re chuggin’ whilst pogoing. Angel Face is the band rockin’ and fuckin Rollin is their game – Get involved its a no-brainer and one of the most enjoyable records you’ll hear all year – Fact!

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Author: Dom Daley

Dez Dare has 10,000 Monkeys + An Argument With Time

Dez Dare has 10,000 Monkeys + An Argument With Time

The 2nd single from Dez Dare’s forthcoming album is released, ‘10,000 Monkeys + An Argument With Time’.

‘A Billion Goats. A Billion Sparks. Fin.’ features 11 songs that delve further into the void than previous records, leaving the sardonic frustration behind for sarcastic existentialism, zeroing in on the big philosophical questions, and the pedantic shards of nonsense that make up our existence.

Tying beats, lo-fi electronics and a bass sound that will implode your speakers into a ball of anxiety, Dez looks at how we experience time and the perspective we need for change.

Dez says “time is kicking us all while we scramble around this rocky mass. If time passes slower closer to the mass, get HI to get perspective!” The concept stems from the elasticity of time as a dimension and where we sit within it. Someone living at the top of a mountain will experience time faster than someone on the ground as they are closer to the mass. Maybe if we all took a step back, took to the hills or even further… we might just see the world a bit clearer.

The self-produced Australian has spent over 3 decades producing music, releasing and touring bands, and doing live sound for z-grade metal bands. Growing up in the coastal town of Geelong (Djilang) in Australia, he was introduced to the DIY punk and rock scene at 15 and this community and the ideas rooted in the underground music scene have guided his output and ethics throughout his career.

This year Dez will be joining forces with label titans God Unknown (Cassels / Duke Garwood / James Johnston + Steve Gullick / KLÄMP / Oneida / Laura Loriga / Monster Magnet / Wellwater Conspiracy [Soundgarden + Monster Magnet]) and will be producing a deluxe version of the album on blob colour vinyl and includes a comic book illustrated by Mike Keane. In true nerd fashion the comic also features top 10s by Dez, Jason Stoll (God Unknown), Matthew Barnhart (Chicago Mastering Service), Mike Keane, and the album illustrator MALMALL.

‘A Billion Goats. A Billion Sparks. Fin.’ out March 1st on God Unknown Records.

TOUR DATES

  • Friday, 12 April 2024 / The Tin Music and Arts, Coventry w/ Hula Girls + Trojan Pony [Sink or Swim Promotions]
  • Saturday, 13 April 2024 / The Dark Horse, Birmingham w/ Exotic Pets + Empty Cut [Die Das Der]
  • Wednesday, 17 April 2024 / The Prince Albert, Brighton w/ Frixon Klatt + YOU&TH [The Séance]
  • Friday, 19 April 2024 / Fish Factory Art Space, Falmouth w/ Ubiquitous Meh! + Broken Arrow
  • Saturday, 20 April 2024 / Underground, Plymouth w/ Ubiquitous Meh! + Broken Arrow [Damnsonic]
  • Thursday, 25 April 2024 / The Deco, Portsmouth w/ The Usual Boys + guests [Neu Waves]
  • More dates across the UK + EU + Australia to be announced… more info @ dezdare.com

‘Bullets’ firing on all cylinders with new video

‘Bullets’ firing on all cylinders with new video

BULLETS AND OCTANE has once again set the stage ablaze with their latest release, “Space Lord Symphony.” This electrifying single is accompanied by a visually stunning music video that promises to captivate audiences worldwide.

“Space Lord Symphony” is a sonic journey that combines the band’s signature high-energy sound with a cosmic twist. Known for their powerful riffs, anthemic choruses, and relentless energy on stage, Bullets and Octane takes their music to new heights with this intergalactic-inspired anthem.

The accompanying music video, directed by Christine Fullwood, is a cinematic masterpiece that transports viewers into a mesmerizing, surreal odyssey. With mind-bending visuals and a narrative that complements the song’s theme, the “Space Lord Symphony” music video is a visual feast for fans and newcomers alike.

“‘Space Lord Symphony’ is the first single from the new Bullets And Octane album (TBD) due out in 2024. The band, firmly lead by the sober singer and main songwriter GENE LOUIS, is still as raucous, energetic and melodic as ever. The new music will punch you in the face and kick you in the nuts at the same time. Just good time hard rock n roll delivered with a punk snarl.” – UVT ENTERTAINMENT / BULLETS AND OCTANE

BULLETS AND OCTANE has consistently pushed the boundaries of rock music, earning them a dedicated global fanbase. “Space Lord Symphony” is a testament to the band’s evolution and their commitment to delivering fresh, innovative music.

The single is now available on all major streaming platforms, and the music video can be viewed on the band’s official YouTube channel.

Pre Order Here

Episode 14 The Podcast

Episode 14 The Podcast

The latest edition of the podcast brings a bunch of banging tunes from some of our favourite new, old, borrowed and blue albums. With exciting new tracks from Sami Yaffa, the Tony Slug Experience, Gagbags and T.S.O.L to name a few, as well as some fantastic covers from Then Comes Silence and The Hillbilly Moon Explosion.

The pair of neirdowells take you on a journey through some of the bands making the world a much better place

Various Artists – ‘All Systems Go – The Neat Singles Volume 1’ (HNE Recordings/Cherry Red Records)

Various Artists – ‘All Systems Go – The Neat Singles Volume 1’ (HNE Recordings/Cherry Red Records)

One of the most fascinating books you are ever likely to pick up regarding the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (or NWOBHM) is John Tucker’s fact packed “Neat & Tidy – The Story of Neat Records”.  Granted it might just focus on the evolution of one of the scene’s many influential players during the dawn of the 1980s, but what a player Neat Records were. The Northeast of England based label provides us denim and leather clad rockers both here in the UK and worldwide early exposure to such seminal names as Tygers of Pan Tang, Venom, Raven, Tobruk, and err Crucifixion, all supported by their groundbreaking (for the time) mail order business.

It’s perhaps no surprise then that HNE Recordings have asked Tucker to not only annotate but also compile this outstanding 4CD salute to the label, ‘All Systems Go – The Neat Singles Volume 1’.

Kicking off with Tygers Of Pan Tang’s 1979 debut ‘Don’t Touch Me There’, and taking us through to Venom’s mighty ‘Warhead’, released in 1984, this set takes in the 37 singles label boss (and studio owner) David Wood’s unleashed on the world during that timeframe (he also released 20+ albums in the same period). Which is an incredible amount of new music from an independent record label, and one that earned Neat Records the tagline of ‘Allegedly Britain’s No.1 Independent Heavy Metal Label’.

My first experience of the label came via a then mate of mine who had picked up a copy of Venom’s classic debut ‘Welcome To Hell’ upon its release back in 1981, which promptly confused the fuck out of us teenage rockers all crammed into his bedroom trying to get our heads around, and not really getting to grips with, just how much of a landmark recording that album actually was, and still is to this very day.

The likes of Tygers Of Pan Tang, White Spirit, and Fist – the first three NWOBHM bands to release singles via Neat (and all captured back to back here as the introduction to the set’s first CD) – had already been snapped up by MCA by this time, so for us, we were immediately playing catch up via records by like likes of Raven, Blitzkrieg, and of course from the very depths of hell, the mighty Venom.  

It’s the lesser-known bands such as (the surprisingly very good, and Celtic Frost approved) Aragorn, Bitches Sin, and Raw Deal (again, all captured on the set’s first CD) that have me taking that same voyage of discovery all over again, albeit four decades on. Plus, as this set progresses it also throws up such other lesser known names (well they were to me anyway) as Steel (who somehow manage to blend Maiden riffs with KISS-like melodies and are fronted by a Jon Deverill wannabe), Valhalla, and the aforementioned Crucifixion, so there’s plenty to get stuck into within this set even if you consider yourself to be something of a die-hard (see what I did there?) fan of Neat Records.

If you have been around the NWOBHM block more than once or twice you may notice that this set is actually very similar to Sanctuary Records’ long since deleted ‘The Neat Singles Collection’ volumes one and two (both of which command an eye watering price on online auction sites right now), however, what this set does that those didn’t, is run the singles’ A and B Sides concurrently, so you’re not having to flip CDs or create playlists simply to play all of Venom’s ‘Warhead’ for example (sadly though the 12” extended version of ‘Warhead’ is once again missing here), plus with ‘All Systems Go – The Neat Singles Volume 1’ you also have a  glorious 20-page booklet with John Tucker’s excellent sleeve notes expanded to forensic levels to completely fill in any knowledge gaps you might have regarding the releases.

If you were too young to experience the NWOBHM first time around, this 82-track collection (which hits the shops on 16th February 2024) is as fine a place as any to visit to inspire you to construct your first denim cut-off, or perhaps step out wearing a bullet belt or studded gauntlet, whilst for those of us with slightly more faded denim cut-offs (that no longer fit us) this is a most welcome trip down memory lane, one that stinks of fags, patchouli oil, Newcastle Brown and is the very birthplace of Black Metal.  

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Author: Johnny ‘Double Denim’ Hayward