Labels: Grave Imprint
Review by: Alex Deller
This is some sharp stuff from Berlin: gloomy punk rock that pitches itself somewhere between spare, spiky hardcore and moribund post-punk. The first few tracks are catchy and sparsely constructed, reminiscent of stuff like Criminal Code and Bad Nerve in their ability to retain a nice jagged edge despite the melodic nous on display. The band’s noisier inclinations take hold with the incessant bashing of ‘Moving Fast’ and the springy, four-minute meltdown of closer ‘Ambition’, and while the texture and angst are to be appreciated the songwriting doesn’t maybe shine quite as brightly. This side of things is in even fuller display on the tape’s b-side, which features a rougher, noisier cut of proceedings “” a nice alternative to the traditional same-songs-on-both-sides approach for cassette releases and a secondary option for those who prefer their punk a bit rougher round the edges. Overall I think I prefer the more honed stuff on the a-side “” odd, given that my aesthetic tastes don’t ordinarily veer towards the prissier side of things “” but it is, whichever way you cut it, a strong and engaging start for a band who could turn out to be pretty darn exciting given half a chance.