Here’s some ugly, stark, tough-sounding hardcore that doesn’t forget to pen a good tune while it’s putting the bloody boot in. Poison Idea and early Black Flag serve as a rough starting point, but the bounce, gruff vocals and songwriting smarts also make me think of early-days Fucked Up, when they were still chucking stuff like ‘Police’ and ‘Generations’ about the place. Song titles like ‘Headaches’ and ‘Depression’ offer blunt insight into where Male Patterns are coming from mood-wise, but it’s the quick, tuneful one-two of ‘Unwritten Laws’ and ‘Bought And Sold’ where their miserable fire burns brightest.
