Labels: Dire
Review by: Andy Malcolm
It’s good to see Facel Vega getting some releases out finally. State Run was an excellent band, and Facel Vega merely improves on that, for shame! On here are two songs of raging, distorted and sneakily melodic hardcore of an emo bent. This slots nicely in between Rites of Spring, and something Mike Kirsch has done. The guitar sound at times is very similar to Torches to Rome, the vocals are hoarsely sung and everything flies along haphazardly. Exciting stuff! There is bags of raw intensity on offer here, and it is a thrill to hear a home grown band trying such music. If you enjoy Bullets*In, End of a Year or any of the other bands mentioned in the past few sentences, you should get your ears wrapped round this band ASAP.
Sceptres are new to me, but I was really intrigued to hear them as they were reputed to be dallying in musical territory again not often troubled on these shores. Herky jerky new wave with high pitched shock vocals from Bryony. It’s all rather day glo and quirky. I am in no way clued up on this kind of thing, they appear to be influenced by a tonne of bands from many years ago, so to someone not well versed on that particular scene it sounds new yet with an audible retroness to the guitar and rhythm. Fascinatingly, this song is about Alexander Litvinenko, which, I suspect, is a first.
Two super fresh bands on the UK punk scene, if there is any justice bands like this will inspire and enthuse a whole new generation of kids to be into punk for DIY and all the right reasons.