Shamefully we missed its unleashing earlier this year but thanks to vocalist/guitarist Neil Crud we were recently nudged and alerted to the presence of The Three Chords Of The Apocalypse, the latest album from Welsh punks Spam Javelin and all we can say is if like us you are late to the uproar now is as good as time as any to stamp those feet and uncage your irritability at the world whilst in tandem with one rousing joy.
With the threesome of bassist Tracey Howarth, drummer Llion Broadbent and Crud now able to take the release live, they have thankfully been energized in letting people know of its presence. It is the successor to their well-received debut full-length of 2019, The Crack Whores of Betws Garmon, a release which was to see the trio proposing to take its voracious sounds across the US on tour. That though was stopped in its tracks by US immigration, an incident no doubt providing plenty of fuel for the spite and anger soaking their second album, that the Covid pandemic and the government, indeed authority and society as a whole all playing their part in its antipathy.
There are plenty of inspirations to the band’s sound hinted at across The Three Chords Of The Apocalypse but maybe it is best described as being akin to a fusion of The Domestics and D.O.A though even that is stretching the accuracy of describing their ire ridden incitement. It snarls and provokes at every turn but equally there is a sense of mischief which in word play and its twists accentuates the anger and incites greater participation in its exploits.
From the first breath of opener Shit You Don’t Need it is fair to say we were on board, from the great grumbling bassline and web of guitar wiring to Crud’s venomous tones and biting beats it proved a feast for punk rock instincts.
Equally Herd Impunity held similar court on instincts, its prowling entrance menace and temptation united before unleashing its own viral discontent on the handling of the past eighteen months or so by those holding power. There are no barbs just outright accusation carried by just as aggressive sound and greedily devoured here before God Bless America took us back with vengeance and infectious irritancy to that earlier moment the US refused our punksters.
The buzz nagging of Children Of The Shoe was soon under the skin next too, working away on the passions as Howarth hooked us in with another delicious bassline, while We’ve Made Plans For Nigel with of course reference to the XTC classic wound its menace loaded wires around the imagination as it opened fire on a certain blight on the UK. Merciless and insatiably compelling, both tracks rage with every aspect that made the album swiftly addictive, corrosive and addictive elements equally shaping the individual characters and presence of You’re A Sanctimonious Prick and Fuck You. The first has an old school styled hook and invention to its escapade with its successor a hardcore infused tempest just as manipulative and rousing.
The same applied to the short cold snap of Joy Division Tool, its post punk urging harassed by punk rock fury, and to the Dead Kennedys hued Super Twat where alone Howarth and Broadbent had us greedily chewing on their enterprise; Crud only escalating the addiction with his hook ridden guitar and vocal enterprise as depravity and temptation spiralled in grievance.
More Shit You Don’t Need is another moment which took us back to the days of Sham 69 and Angelic Upstarts with The Wonder Kids similarly tapping into familiar essences as it cast its own toxic pleasure.
With the album 15 track large, by now we might have expected to say that some tracks did not grab as tightly as others but we can’t, the likes of I Used To Be A Punk and Cogged Off venturing in fresh areas of invention and addiction, especially the latter with its infernally virulent groove. Not even the third instalment of the inner saga, Even More Shit You Don’t Need proved a greedy predator of our attention and lustful pleasure.
The album’s title track completes the outrage, a track prowling ears with open enmity soaked in feral tempting in echo of the aforementioned Biafra led quartet. Once it leapt upon the senses though, the track is primal Spam Javelin fraught with invasive voracity and imagination; one last dose of glorious disorder.
Months late and truly grateful for the guidance from within, we devoured Three Chords Of The Apocalypse with true greed and urge all to come join the feast.
Three Chords Of The Apocalypse is available as a name your price download @ https://spamjavelin.bandcamp.com/album/the-three-chords-of-the-apocalypse-2
https://www.facebook.com/spamjavelinuk
Pete RingMaster 14/10/2021
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Categories: Music
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