Gallows: Grey Britain

Editorial

Release date: 9 May 2009 (Warner)
Misguided Ramones, or perhaps confused Sex Pistols; that is what Gallows sound like on Grey English. They're an odd mix between rowdy true-punk from the old days, progressive rock and contemporary pop, two of which find some of their roots in Britain. This blending actually kind of works and the album is solid from start to finish. But of course it's entirely up to you - the listener - whether you can tolerate the singing style and obnoxious wall-of-noise mixing style during the heavier parts. The cymbals are not clear and everything blends together, until it doesn't; this is an album of contradictions and general weirdness, and because of that, it is good, but let's just hope the group don't get caught in hypocrisy. "Britain is ... dead, so cut our throats, end our lives, let's ... start again."

The most important aspect of this release is the attitude; rock'n'roll is all about attitude, the Sex Pistols were all about attitude and so were the Ramones, and so, it seems, are Gallows - they want nothing more than to spread their message of anarchy, which they do a really good job of. Interestingly, this is like taking that old-style punk to the next level, incorporating musical elements that punk intentionally left out and the result is a poignant message of anarchy that could appeal to a wider audience than your regular attitude-driven rock act. They're still misguided though and it would be terrible if they got caught out for hypocrisy.

Tracks:
1. The Riverbank
2. London Is The Reason
3. Leeches
4. Black Eyes
5. I Dread The Night
6. Death Voices
7. The Vulture (Acts I & II)
8. The Riverbed
9. The Great Forgiver
10. Graves
11. Queensberry Rules
12. Misery
13. Crucifucks

Vincent Giles, June 2009
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