Destroyed by Madness

T.R.E.S.T. Chunks Self-release (17/02/23) T.R.E.S.T. deliver a prog-length single (by punk standards anyway) full of crusty riffs, junk shop drums, grinding bass, and filthy vocals. Chunks drops with a doomy slash of distortion and the slap of a kick drum. Tension builds throughout the intro with an irritable guitar melody, and a head-nodding groove from the rhythm section which is loose in all the right ways. The scene is set… here comes the noise!  The tempo picks up as riffs cascade downwards and we enter full D-beat mode. It’s a classic sound that’s familiar to fans across the punk spectrum, but one that’s neatly crafted and delivered with a manic intensity. The vocals are a stand out, mixing high-frequency shrieks and stomach-churning gutturals. It’s a useful contrast of styles that keeps the listener on their toes. The production is superbly gritty and true to genre, which is somewhat surprising in the modern age given the propensity towards quantising and drum samples. It’s ...

CALL OF SIRENS GAIA EP Self-release (24/02/23) Harking back to the 2000s for a dark punk-pop vibe with prog-rock undertones, Call of Sirens deliver a solid EP filled with personal angst, hummable melodies and driving rhythms. Opening track The Monsters skips along via an up-tempo beat, with a phased guitar motif and busy bass line underpinning the dramatic vocal style of Lani Hopuare. It switches up to a half-time chorus, all wide guitars and wobbly bass, with an interesting break later in the song that changes key and climbs to a false peak before sliding back into the chorus.  Kenopsia follows, built upon a build-and-release template that contrasts a broken snare groove across the verse with a straight ahead feel in the chorus. There’s good use of dynamics on show which leaves plenty of space to breathe, especially during the middle section which is reduced to a sparse set of atmospherics led by delicate reverberating guitar. Lyrically, the EP’s focus is on matters of a personal ...

BRUISE CONTROL Bruise Control TNS Records (17/03/23) The Bruise Brothers are back with a belting bit of boogie on eponymous new single. Bruise Control have had quite an impact on the U.K.’s DIY punk scene these past couple of years, gigging around with a riotously fun live show that’s built on some seriously smart songs. Bruise Control - the single that is - plays host to bristling guitars, drums that motor along like there’s no tomorrow, and a slinky bass… all topped off with the charismatic vocal presence of Jim Bob. It’s maximum rock ‘n’ roll delivered with punk rock intensity. We begin with some surf influenced tom-toms before riding the wave of 70s bar rock through the verse. The band make fantastic use of backing vocals to pump up the energy ahead of a call and response chorus primed for the live stage. Just when you thought the band were already at full throttle, they up the ante further with a double-time drum rhythm that races through the second half, and just in case you didn...

BLEACH BRAIN The Collector Self-release (17/03/23) Liverpool’s Bleach Brain deliver a metallic grunge-punk ripper on debut single The Collector. The band announce themselves with four splashes of an open hi-hat before launching face first into the deep end. It’s quite the introduction, with an urgent two-chord riff sitting underneath a quite startling vocal performance that alternates between throat-shredding screams and desperate pleading. It’s a very apt delivery given the lyrical narrative of kidnapping, imprisonment and abuse which is based on a fictional novel and not, thankfully, personal experience. The chorus takes a slight left-turn, digging into a descending grunge-fuelled riff with some subtle background vocals that remind me of Alice In Chains’ fantastic use of, for want of a better term, harmonic doom. There’s an atmospheric moment of calm as vocals are pushed into the distance and pitch-shifted guitar lines create a sinister mood. It’s only a brief respite though - the ch...

THE STRANGERZ Hit the Ground Self-Release (17/03/23) Doncaster to Manchester transplants The Strangerz exude noughties’ NYC charm mixed-up with a Riot Grrrl edge on new single Hit the Ground. Four to the floor drums and bass set the groove before a shivering guitar melody opens the door for the ice cool vocals of Martha Kelly. The playful, self-assured nature of the delivery, coupled with an understated vibrato, demand attention. There’s definite Kathleen Hanna vibes here for sure, but with an authentic spin that mutates into a wild cry across the chorus. The band are a juxtaposition of styles; shouty but melodic, noisy yet focused - somehow both loose and tight. It’s a heady mix that gives a modern twist to a throwback sound.  The Strangerz are economical in their craft, shifting through Hit the Ground in just under three minutes with a couple of verses and a couple of choruses. What else do you really need when the raw ingredients are this good?  The band have a number of da...

VELMA Damaged For Good Self-release (10/03/23) Brooding, claustrophobic, and intense,    Damaged For Good is a tasty slice of grunge-inflected post-punk, soaked in nagging guitar melodies. Velma have been kicking around the DIY scene for a minute now, developing a reputation for the honesty of their live performance. Previous single Suffer paved the way for their self-declared post-grunge sound, with Damaged For Good building on this template and spinning it with an off-kilter drum rhythm and huge bass tone. The vocal delivery is equal parts sneering and vitriolic; a seething lyric aimed at a manipulative antagonist which leaves the narrator questioning their own sanity. The guitar hook is literally that, driving the chorus and reeling the listener in as it plays with, then against, the rhythm of the drums. The fuzzy quality of the guitar is complimented and grounded by the massive, widescreen bass. It sounds absolutely fantastic, enveloping the listener in a warm-yet-suffocat...

CLAYFACE Employee of the Month Horn and Hoof Records (10/03/23) Mining the 90s US-midwest scene for inspiration, Employee of the Month is three minutes of heart-on-your sleeve proclamations about feeling fine… when maybe you’re really not feeling fine. These northern punk upstarts combine muscular guitar and driving rhythms with a yearning quality to the song-writing, before topping it off with twinkly melodies that get hooked in your brain after a single listen. Kicking things off with a classic bare-bones guitar and vocal pattern, the band soon kick in and it’s all systems go as the frisky tempo counteracts the melancholic feel of the lyrics. The interplay between rhythm section and guitars is excellent, frequently skipping beats and dropping in and out to let each other take centre stage for a moment - there’s great chemistry on show here. The vocals are a mix of Blake Schwarzenbach, Chuck Ragan and even some Billy Bragg: you know the style - that gruff delivery, but smothered in wa...

KICKED IN THE TEETH The Ballad Of Richard Rambo Rare Vitamin  Records (08/03/23) Kicked in the Teeth aren’t messing around with new single The Ballad of Richard Rambo - it’s a stomping throwback of anthemic street-punk, smothered in KITT’s familiar balls to the wall personality.  The band don’t waste a moment, kicking things off with the chorus to get you hooked… and a prompt for later in the song. The driving chord progression loops throughout, switching between bristling palm-mutes across the verses and full on riffage for the sing-along. It’s a slight departure from their more aggro/angsty previous releases, but I can imagine it being a perfect set closer or mid-gig party piece with plastic cups of warm beer flying skyward and dripping off the ceiling. Jay’s vocal delivery is as gruff as ever, but there’s nuance and melody in the layered backing vocal parts. Speaking of additional vocals, the breakdown will offer a live audience ample opportunity to deliver a throaty versio...

PISS KITTI  Leather Forever   Venn Records  (01/03/23) Piss Kitti return with their infectious brand of scuzzy, melodic post-punk on new single Leather Forever.  After the more caustic sound of previous release, I’m Jammed, the band lean into their melodic side which pushes the cool detachment and darkly humorous lyrics of Esme Davine to the fore. Leather Forever begins on a slow burn and builds to a fake chorus, all rolling bass and staccato chords, before pirouetting back on itself to ratchet up the tension further. When it breaks, the sincerely sarcastic and sweetly melodic chorus is a catchy ear-worm, offering an optimistic message about living forever… or, failing that, being buried in Lemmy’s jacket material of choice. Where most bands would simply get to the second chorus after a quick guitar solo, Piss Kitti take a left-turn as the guitars subside and switch to an R.E.M.-esque arpeggiated chord progression that slows things down with a swing before building b...