Labels: Modern City
Review by: Alex Deller
Kepone were a funny old thing. Easily given that nebulous ‘post-hardcore’ tag they were far harder to pin down and streets ahead of many bands similarly pigeonholed. In their time they released a clutch of 7″s and three fantastic LPs, the third of which has been reissued by the lovely folks at Modern City and whumped onto vinyl for the first time. Despite their sound being deceptively simple, describing Kepone is nevertheless a bit of a tricky task. For my money they’re like some sort of scratchy, pulsing, semi-funky amalgam that takes in Fugazi, NoMeansNo and the Big Boys. The rhythm section is locked down to inhuman levels of tightness while the guitars thrust and jerk with a sound like mallets hitting sheet metal. Star of the show, though, is frontman Michael Bishop. Allegedly the son of a preacher (man), his delivery is by turns keening and hectoring, a belligerent caterwaul one moment and sweetly melodic the next “” a range of styles, voices and deliveries you can easily imagine being shaped by a childhood gazing up at the pulpit while tales of fire, brimstone, betrayal and redemption are boomed forth. The opening salvo of ‘Bring It Down’ and ‘Joe’ showcases the band in feisty, punked-up form while ‘Leave Your Bones’ embeds itself in your brain with winding vocal lines and the truly stunning ‘Liner Hymn’ builds from taut a cappella origins to a swaying, tumultuous climax that sounds like nothing much else. I got the sense that Kepone passed a lot of people by first time around, and to be honest that’s a bit of a sorry fact. This album’s now some 15 years old, but if no-one told you then you’d hardly guess – it’s a rare, shining treat so snag yourself a copy now or forever hang your sorry head in shame.