It’s a bit of a coincidence that I received Crimedesk’s album and Thirteen’s EP within a few days of each other.
I say this, as I’ve recently featured Drunk Gods and earlier this year I saw all 3 bands in Ivory Blacks. It was a great nights entertainment. 3 very different bands in sound but all enjoyed by a small but enthusiastic crowd.
In another coincidence, the gig should also have featured Heavy Drapes. I also wrote about recently, unfortunately they had to pull out at the last-minute.
Crimedesk – Louder…..FASTER
Crimedesk have been around and about since ’79 and are a hard-gigging 3 piece punk band from Fife featuring the 2 Alan(n)s on guitar and bass & vocals and John on drums.
The new album “Louder…..Faster” kicks off with “The Louder You Scream, The Faster you Go”. It has a bit of a Psychobilly/Meteors feel to it, both in style and in that Alan’s vocal has a gruff sound to it like Paul P. Fenech. A rollicking start to a solid album.
With “WTF You Looking at” you pretty much get a song that you would expect with a title like that. The chorus spat out with some venom.
Anti-war song “Future Engraved (Death no Glory)” has a poignant lyric and some nice harmonies from the outset.
One of my favourites is “Never Give Up, Never Give In”, I like the positive sentiment of the song, the almost football chant of a chorus and the guitar breaks
“Freaky Street” has another memorable chorus and references (from what I have gathered from covers/live shows) band favourites The Stranglers.
Album closer “Manky Hoor” won’t win any plaudits from the PC brigade but is a great sing-a-long track.
Another of the tracks says, “What You See is What You Get” and what you get from Crimedesk is a thoroughly enjoyable album of melodic punk songs.
Get the album at one of the bands upcoming live dates or contact them in their Facebook page.
Thirteen
Falkirk based Thirteen describe themselves as “Punk Rock ‘n Roll from Scotland”.
They have a harder edged rock sound, with an obvious punk influence.
Spirit of Resistance is a fast paced opener with frantic guitar and drums. The 6 song EP features a number of songs with a protest type theme – which you may expect with the name of the EP – as well as the title track there is “We Will Overcome” and “The Day the Killing Stops”.
We Will Overcome has a Smashing Pumpkins feel to it. Dolly has a very distinctive voice not unlike Billy Corgan’s.
Tattered Sleeve is a song about growing up as a disaffected youth in the late 70’s with punk as the soundtrack to life. “’76 when this all started, the first time you felt alive”
EP closer “The Day the Killing Stops” has a moody bass intro with drums and guitar building into the opening The Day the Killing Stops refrain. The song builds to its crescendo before fading out to a lone bass drum beat and the final refrain once more.
If you like your punk with a fast paced harder guitar sound, you’ll enjoy this EP.
Get the EP from their bandcamp page or at one of the bands upcoming live dates.