There is always great enjoyment in the snowball effect of discovering one new band which in turns leads to another and so on. Checking out the new album from Finnish band Wanton on Undead Artists inspired the thought of what other psychobilly bands were hidden in the underground of their homeland. Quickly standing out amongst a potent many was Helsinki quartet Buzzkillz for which a like on their Facebook profile was inevitable. This in turn sparked the band to get in touch with their latest album Scum Of The Earth and now an eager recommendation of its contagious punkabilly.
Buzzkillz was formed in 2011 by vocalist/guitarist Ultima Foole and double bassist Jybe, the pair after playing for many years in their own respective bands “decided to do better music together”. A few personnel changes led to the current and potent line-up of guitarist Antti and drummer Joiku alongside the founding pair stepping forward in 2015 with an arsenal of punk/rockabilly bred tracks. The following year saw the band record their debut album with the uncaging of Scum Of The Earth coming in its fall and still luring a host of new hungry appetites for their sound week by week,.
Scum Of The Earth opens up with Sick Of It All, enticing with a Clash like beckoning before stomping through ears with psychobilly muscle and virulence. Rhythms take no prisoners, beats a thumping trespass backed by the delicious resonating bait that only a double bass can offer. The vocal growl of Ultima is quickly in the bullying mix, his grouchy tones backed potently across the band as the song cantankerously bounds across the senses. With wiry melodies adding to the pleasure, it is a great start swiftly backed up by the addictive punk ‘n’ roll shuffle of Deepest Pockets. Like a mix of Russian punks Biting Elbows and the Danes Grumpynators, the track soon has body and spirit locked in its grip and with consummate ease.
I’m Not The One comes next, its cowpunk flavouring another easy to embrace temptation and the spicy lining to the track’s contagious swing before the album’s title track brings a dirtier, grittier slab of rock ‘n’ roll to the party. Both tracks hit the spot dead centre, the second with a tone reminding of The Peacocks but equally each is overshadowed by the rousing rumble and incitement of Losing The Fight. With anthemic rhythms alone stoking up feverish fires, the song ensnares eager ears and appetite, treating both to a mesh of sultry melodies over relentlessly catchy rhythms.
Through the punk ‘n’ roll intimidation of Outside, Jybe unleashing another simply irresistible infection of bass, and the sinister rockabilly seduction of Fear Of The Unknown, band and album further share rich variety and salacious flirtation while Roll The Dice delves into some ska punk seeded devilment to stretch that diversity within those three songs alone.
Psychobilly drives the irritable charge of Monsters next, the track a rapacious trespass of ears and pleasure simultaneously infesting and captivating the imagination. Its melodies entice with zeal as riffs and rhythms badger and trap an instinctive appetite for their source genre; a psychobilly flavouring just as eagerly fuelling the carnivorous exploits of Some Scars, a track something akin to The Meteors in league with Nekromantix.
There is a whiff of Tiger Army to the smouldering seduction of Sleepwalking but at times even more so of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers with its dark off-kilter invention. Persistently, the song unveils a fresh twist and hue to its rock ‘n’ roll, emerging the most unique and thrilling proposal in a horde of only striking encounters.
The album ends with the muscular rock ‘n’ roll of Cross To Bare, a slab of punk rock putting a feisty cap on one rousing and thoroughly enjoyable release. There are plenty of familiar hues to the album but with a freshness and inventive prowess which employs rather than relies on them. Buzzkillz is a band ready to embrace attention far beyond their homeland, they have done their part in that aim with Scum Of The Earth; the rest is down to you. Now the question is from their discovery where will we be next led…
Scum Of The Earth is available now @ https://buzzkillzband.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/Buzzkillzband/
Pete RingMaster 18/04/2017
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