Bit late in the day with this one, but what the hell. Peace Talks are a Pittsburgh band playing a scathing, unfussy brand of hardcore that, rather refreshingly, refuses to latch onto any of today’s prevailing styles. The riffs – boxy, feedback-laced, occasionally atonal, sometimes rather rawk ‘n’ roll – owe a definite nod to Bl’ast! and Black Flag, but the singer’s snarling, end-of-rope rasp and the light-touch use of FX set them nicely apart. Tracks like ‘Last Chance Out Of Texas’ and ‘Stranger In The House’ (which makes excellent use of plink-plink-plink piano) are catchy in the nastiest possible way and showcase some great white-knuckle dynamics. These elements neatly complement the band’s shorter, more straight-ahead blasts and round things out to make for a really satisfying bout of bitter, vengeful punk rock.
