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“Great Britain is fucking dead, so cut our throats and our lives, let’s fucking start again.” Frank Carter has never been one for subtlety and judging by the above lyrics, which close Gallow’s storming new album ‘Grey Britain’, he’s not about to change now. The front man has rallied his troops and brought them back for a full on assault on fair old Blighty on their second opus.
If you’re easily offended you should stop reading now – this is a nasty, profanity-laden monster of an album with enough vitriol to share out among each and every member of Gallow’s perceived nation. In short Gallows are fucking angry at everyone and everything.
The problem is that if you don’t channel this anger into constructive music the whole point is lost in an orgy of aggression and hyperbole. Do Gallows fall for this? Not for a second.
Right from the off with the lurking ‘The Riverbank’ this is an album destined for greatness. Distant screams and sloshing waters usher us in and from here there’s no turning back. ‘London is the Reason’ is a snarling punk number with a rollicking chorus, while ‘Leeches’ never lets up for a second with ultra quick guitar strokes straight from Rancid’s back catalogue.
The constant torrent of measured angst continues with highlights like ‘I Dread the Night’ which sees Carter inviting you to “Throw your fucking knuckles straight at my spine,” possibly an open invite for all fans attending the live shows.
‘The Vulture (Acts 1 & 2)’ juxtaposes gentle acoustics in act 1 with raging electrics in act 2 and is perhaps the only single that might make it as far as the radio. The morose ‘Graves’ blows off at a frantic pace until Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro weighs in with vocal duties in the breakdown. It then builds to a shuddering, methodical climax which lives long in the memory.
This isn’t an album that will charm you, rather it will bludgeon you over the head until you realise what an inspired slice of music it really is. In years to come, this record will be remembered as Gallows' masterpiece – long live Grey Britannia.
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