Labels: In At the Deep End
Review by: Mike Whelan
In At The Deep End Records seem to be pushing a few new bands around the map these days, and Buzzkill are assuredly one of the best.
This is dirty, scuzzy, rock ‘n’ roll of the highest order, mixed with bits of hardcore and jazz and with enough melody to make the tracks catchy and hard-hitting. Every track screams out that it wants to be played loud, and the music brings to mind The Hives or The Von Bondies, but with more of a punk vibe.
Of course, with so much energy in each song, things can eventually get a little bit samey, but Buzzkill always manage to rescue proceedings and pull a gem out of the bag. Just as track three ‘Big City Taxi’ finishes with a whimper, the riffing on ‘I’ll Take The Alcohol’ kicks in and brings a smile back to any tired features. The hardcore influence is obvious with the length of the tracks, most of which come in at under three-minutes. The eight songs are blasted out in 22 minutes of furious riffs and pounding drums.
Despite the aged sound of Iggy Pop and The Ramones, Buzzkill still manage to be one of the most original bands I’ve heard in some time. This Leeds based five-piecehave bucked the turgid emo-screamo-hardcore trend and come up with something far more refreshing.
It’s mean, it’s dirty, it’s noisy, and it’s very good. In a word, brilliant.