Album Review: Suckerpunch - "An Eye For A Lie"

 

Hailing from Birmingham, Suckerpunch describe themselves as the missing link between the Wildhearts and GBH so the initial signs for this one were good. Having listened to An Eye For A Lie, I can definitely hear elements of both of the above in there but it's not quite the whole story.

The opening duo of the gammon-skewering I Zombie and the equally angry View From The Moodswings show a political awareness to the lyrics and have some impressive machine gun drumming and dextrous guitar work while Weaponised Idiot takes the heaviness up another notch into almost Motorhead-esque territory.

The lyrics remain thoughtful throughout - Obsessive No 7 and 3 Days both deal with depression and Instagrudge takes aim at web-based "influencers" although Kayfabe Baby adds a bit of humour into the mix by comparing relationships to wrestling! The group remain tight and focused throughout with some good musicianship on here although my only slight complaint is that they could maybe do with a tiny bit more variety sonically as they don't really deviate too far from the whole frenetic thrash punk with tunes formula throughout. However, the tunes are of a good enough standard here that it's easily forgivable.

An Eye For A Lie is pretty much a classic piss 'n' vinegar punk debut album, full of energetic fury about the world's injustices and with plenty of good hooks and riffs to keep you interested. If Suckerpunch can take this template and build on it then they could very well be a band to watch.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Nite Songs Singles Bar February 2021

Image
  Well it seems oddly apt that we're visiting the Singles Bar the day before Valentine's Day for February, doesn't it? Pull up a stool, order a drink and who knows, you might just get lucky tonight. Let's take a peek and see what joys lie within this month... Definitely the most anticipated release of this month is a new single from Rich Ragany & The Digressions   ahead of their second album due in the spring and I'm pleased to report that Marionette  (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑) is another good offering from Rags and co with a driving verse merging into a big soaring chorus. In a just world, of course, it would be a chorus that would be being bellowed from stadium rafters by hordes of adoring fans rather than this group being a well-respected cult outfit but who knows, on this evidence, they may yet change that. Either way though, this is a fine effort and well worth your attention. Bandcamp link here . It's a generally acknowledged fact that Frank Turner  is one of rock &
Read more

Album Review: James Sullivan - "Light Years"

Image
  James Sullivan is a former guitarist with the Role Models as well as being the frontman with More Kicks who were regulars on the London power-pop circuit a couple of years ago. This is his first solo album and, as with a few other efforts we've reviewed of late, was written and recorded during the lockdown amid an uncertain future for touring musicians. Sullivan set himself the task of writing a song a day for ten days and Light Years  is the result. There's an endearing Television Personalities style lo-fi quirkiness to this album from the spoken word opener Lea Bridge  giving way to the gentle Frank Turner style acoustics of It Won't Do You Harm  and the rough around the edges power pop of Keep Your Heart Alive . Getaway is propelled along by rumbling bass and a drum machine before the acoustic led Guided  and the gentle piano ballad Up To My Neck Again  show that this is an album where the curveballs just keep coming. The lockdown frustration of Totally Bored  comes ac
Read more

Album Review: New Rocket Union - "Twin Cities Breakdown"

Image
  Hailing, as the album title suggests, from Minneapolis, New Rocket Union are back-to-basics garage rock duo. But just let me reassure you that if that description is bringing back bad memories of the White Stripes' tediousness, this is a much more fired up and feral take on the genre, crashing through 11 tracks in just under 24 minutes and hardly pausing for breath on its way. Similar to Winnebago Deal if they'd been raised on the Ramones rather than Black Flag, New Rocket Union crash through the likes of Waitin' For You  and Upside Down  in a gleefully clumsy race-to-the-finish cavalcade of guitars and drums. There's the odd twist thrown into the formula like the way Outta Sight  adds a touch of Elvis style rockabilly into the equation, the Dead Boys style fury of Dirty Little Lies or Outta Mind  which brings the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs' no-nonsense chug to mind but mostly this is unapologetically simple four-to-the-floor garage punk. And that's the rub -
Read more