Destroyed by Madness

SINKR Sedona EP Self-Release (28/04/23) Following on from their 2022 debut full-length A History Of Things To Come, Manchester’s alt-rock power-trio SINKR are back with the razor-sharp Sedona EP.  Bursting into life on an up-stroked riff, A Place For You And Me captures an urgent energy, distilling feelings of longing, desire, and frustration into three minutes of fizzy perfection. The bass is bold and full, mixing with spritely drums to provide the foundation for yearning guitar melodies and an honest, soulful croon. The verses slash and the choruses burn, with a lovely switch of chord progression halfway through that leads into a tom-bothering change of dynamics before looping back on it’s hook. Cut Deep is a sinister, scowling beast that lures you in with a bass-line straight outta the Kim Deal playbook and a sneering vocal delivery. It morphs into a radio-ready chorus full of wide-open chords and the catchy, titular lyrical refrain before flipping back to it’s taut verse. Muscu...

PUNITIVE DAMAGE Snakes Among Us / Generation / Taurine Retro Bar, Manchester Wednesday 12th April, 2023 With the hangover from Manchester Punk Festival still lingering for many across the scene, catching Vancouver’s hottest ticket at Retro on a sodden Wednesday evening in mid-spring is a glorious hair of the dog.  Snakes Among Us  start the party with a loud, brash and intense set of old-school hardcore punk. Veering towards the riff-fuelled style of East-Coast persuasion (with a dose of West Coast weirdness for good measure), guitars bounce, bass booms and drums nail the juxtaposing tendencies of manic thrash and swaggering groove. It’s a strong mix that’s amped up further by the imposing presence and cutting shriek of their frontman. There’s a nice ebb and flow to the set, with 45-second grinds, two-step stompers, and D-beats aplenty. Finishing off with a mournful dirge that stretches out past the four-minute mark, the Manchester debut from Snakes Among Us is a quite brillia...

SPLINT Awaiting Hills Self-release  18/04/23 The latest soundscape from Manchester’s post-punk, post-rock, post-whatever darlings is another cracking psych-fuelled, stream of consciousness mood piece.  Awaiting Hills builds upon the template of Splint’s previous two singles and is in no hurry to deliver it’s charms, instead drawing the listener in with a laid-back and patient approach that slowly ratchets up the tension as the minutes tick by. Anchored by motorik drums and chiming guitars, the melodic bass pattern is countered by a repeating flute riff that adds a feeling of air and weightlessness to the nodding groove before disappearing in the second half of the song.  There are variations to the theme, but essentially the band strip back as much as possible to reveal a minimalist influence that keeps the essential and discards what is superfluous. There’s a lyric halfway through the song that reflects this approach;    “I don’t need to complicate it - the les...

THROWING STUFF I Hate This Place TNS Records (05/04/23) Back with the first of a triptych of singles for 2023, Throwing Stuff’s hardcore punk fury hits full throttle with I Hate This Place. Stomping drums, proto-punk guitar, and a delightful wobble of bass welcome the listener, inviting them on a 150-second journey that takes swipe at racism and bigotry across a broken society. Righteous indignation spews forth once the venomous vocal joins the travelling party, and you can almost feel the spittle drip from the speakers such is the force of delivery. The song is craftily built on a couple of riffs, with a brief pause for thought two-thirds through which sets things up nicely for the banging refrain on the race towards home. It’s a heady mix of amped-up 80s hardcore, street-punk, and conscious lyrics that hit hard in these modern times. The recording is sharp and crisp, but with a layer of grime that suits the atmosphere. Guitars cut and thrust against the bass which alternates between ...