World's Got a Problem

Yeah, it’s not only swans and sea in Swansea where these lads hail from; there are a couple of sizeable tortoises over there, too, and their number is obviously big enough to inspire a young team of buddies whose interest in music, as evident from the album reviewed here, is in the good old speed metal, think the less pretentious, merrier side of it, as reflected in the works of their compatriots Blood Money and the legends Motorhead.

It’s all about vicious attacks at first, though, with “Atomic Attack”, a raging thrasher which main motif sounds very close to the one from Anthrax’s “Skeleton in the Closet”. No more such skeletons in the closet later as with the laid-back party-goer “Visions of Lust” the delivery hits a pleasant welcoming mode the latter largely marred by the intimidating hoarse Cronos-esque vocals. The energy remains high but the atmosphere is not tense at all, with the title-track and “Loony Toon (Wake Up Mad)” providing inebriate optimism and catchy sing-along moments galore, the somewhat obligatory rude awakening called “Psychotaff”, another attempt at unruly thrashy behaviour, but it’s all about uniting in brotherly embrace for the friendly pogos stirred by the Motorhead tributes “Efnisien” and “We Kill”.

No, the guys aren’t out to kill anyone; they just want the audience to have a good time and jump around with a pint of pale ale, or some Welsh beer brand, in hand if possible. Thrash this isn’t, except on the mentioned occasions, but it’s not much of a crossover either. Certainly, the mood is relaxed and jammy but there isn’t a lot of material that refers to the repertoire of acts like Suicidal Tendencies, Ludichrist, The Accused… more musical prowess would have been desirable, it was 1991 after all, but as a belated effort in stirring the emerging numetal trends this effort should be treated with a certain amount of respect.

Thrash features prominently on the sophomore which is a much rowdier affair with a few allusions to the angry/aggro vogues. The band sound much less hospitable on it, also more complex as the length of the songs is bigger although nothing too overtly technical is served. And that was it; these four lads from Swansea town were gone, just like that… I wonder if their disappearance has anything to do with the tortoises’ near extinction on those shores?