(Warner)

UK punk rockers turn up the heat

Off the back of a ripping debut record and the British press going to town, Gallows have been on everyone’s radar recently as anticipation builds for a new album. But it’s business as usual for the band – back with another screamer, Grey Britain takes no prisoners as singer Frank Carter takes vitriolic shots at politics, religion and other things you shouldn’t talk about at the dinner table; the brilliant hook in Leeches – "I don’t drink the wine / I can’t stomach the lies / A million Hail Marys won’t save you now" a prime example of the stuff Carter wanted to get off his chest. The Vulture (Acts I & II) are combined into a six-minute epic; it begins as a departure using strings, acoustic guitars and clean vocals before flying home on a heavy slab of punk rock – certainly one of the highlights. Likewise for The Riverbed, a sampled air raid siren adding an increased sense of urgency to frenetic drumwork and riffs that make you want to skol your beer and throw the glass across the room. The anger comes to a head as Misery’s breakdown pits Carter with a gang shout as they go back and forth: Misery loves us / And we love her too! Gareth Richardson taking the producer’s chair cleaned up the band’s sound considerably – in fact too much for a band whose raw sound on the first record was one of its major charms. Regardless, Grey Britain’s substance and sheer energy easily allow it a pass, validating all the raving from the Brits.

***½

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