SHREDS. step back
SHREDS Step Back! Engineer Records / Some Dude Records 15/04/24 A serrated guitar riff greets the listener before a pent-up skate-punk groove joins the thrash-inflected party. Jim enters, rocking the mic with street-poet narratives detailing the minutiae of the mundane and everyday irritants that slowly eat away at your soul, nibble by nibble, until you feel compelled to yell out loud at the absurdity of it all. Imagine Michael Douglas’ character in Falling Down, had he been born in the East Midlands, fronting a Cali crossover set and you’ll get an idea of the vibe. It dials-in the tone for the twenty-minutes to come, and boy is it a gnarly tone. Shreds’ on record reflect the trademark blend of 80s hardcore and hyperactive nature of their live incarnation, all sharp edges, manic intensity, and constant movement. There’s no real let up in energy across this debut album, more slight shifts of focus within individual songs. Take, for example, Stop Talking To Me and This Is The World ...