Set to send a bruising shockwave through British punk ‘n’ roll is Goblin King, a London hailing Death N’ Roll quartet primed to release their debut EP. Offering five ravenously dirty and intrusive slabs of heavy rabid trespassing, Blood, Drugs & Death n Roll is a primal cauldron of metal, rock, and punk; everything which makes for a great rock ‘n’ roll fury and battering.
Founded earlier this year, the foursome of King, Beast, Jester, and Sin have taken little time to make a thick impression with a sound said to draw on the inspirations of Entombed, Motorhead, Amen, GG Allin, Cancer Bats and more. It is a ferocious affair, on the evidence of their first EP, as ready to have you swinging from the light fixings as savage the senses you were born with; simply raw rock ‘n’ roll in glorious rampage.
The EP opens up with its title track, Blood, Drugs & Death n Roll an infestation of scavenging riffs and nasty rhythms careering through ears with an appetite for mayhem. Their animosity though springs a swiftly addictive groove and an infectious swagger matched in the gruff vocal style and energy of King. Hooks are as prevalent as filth sharing riffs, thrash and punk uniting in a contagious animus hell bent on having the listener stomping around with middle fingers raised. Those Amen and Motorhead influences are especially vocal but immersed in an insatiable tide of character and tenacity all of Goblin King making, a rich flavouring equally flooding the following, just as superb second track.
Titled Goblin King, it is the kind of anthem no defences work against; an incitement from its first breath which has body and spirit eagerly embroiled. Riffs and rhythms swiftly confront and infest, vocals soon adding their bullying tactics until it all erupts in a chorus only the deaf could escape being hooked on. It is a chorus taking a breath at its final throes giving greater clarity to one glorious bassline and tone which spines the whole tempestuous contagion. Some tracks are instinctively manna to ears and the passions, this lustfully one for us though hunger is left dissatisfied at its departure after barely three minutes.
The opening pair gives the rest of the tracks a hard task to match their united triumph but the likes of 667 and Eye Of The Storm make a potent rolled up fist of it. The first is a ‘milder’ proposal in relation to the scourges before it but still has an attitude and hefty swipe to its presence which has you warily launching your participation and an unpredictability which wrong-foots and sparks the imagination at certain moments. Its spicy assault reveals a far broader landscape to the Goblin King sound and writing than its predecessors, one equally as refreshing and it is intriguing for an adventure the second of the two also embraces in its multi-flavoured, metal infused punk rock charge if not quite to the same boldness. With the guitar a flamethrower of melodic craft and rhythms an incessant examination of the senses, the track is inescapable virulence.
Death Sti-XXX brings things to an antagonistic close, crawling all over the listener with irritability and creative spite; a discontent breeding another addictive groove, spikily grabbing hooks, and anthemic incitement. Admittedly, initially the song did not make the same strong impression as its companions but over time had body and appetite seduced just as tightly.
Blood, Drugs & Death n Roll is pretty much a physical interpretation of its title; an affair basking in its grubbiness and relishing its prowess of igniting the energy and spirit of those it preys upon. It may be greedy but we so want more of Goblin King and are already finding it hard to patiently wait.
Blood, Drugs & Death n Roll is released August 10th digitally and on CD @ https://goblinkingofficial.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GoblinKingOfficial/
Pete RingMaster 02/08/2017
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
The following Shutdown offers its own collusion of punk and metal lined rock ‘n’ roll next; prowling riffs and biting rhythms a predacious incitement matched in success and intrusive magnetism by a litter of hooks and vocal unity. Standing at the fore SV is the trigger, his tones a belligerent yet welcoming cause to get on board with whilst the bass simply seduces the appetite with its devious groove. The track rocks the joint with ease, bodies and speakers rocking just as tenaciously through the more corrosive presence of Gatecrash and in turn by the seriously irresistible of Fuck This For A Game Of Soldiers. The first of the two lacks some of the sparks of its predecessor, such the former’s inventive bent, but still has full command of again throat and physical participation with its dirty punk ‘n’ roll while the second simply snarls and invades the senses with its primal hearted, melodically catchy antics. Initially a predator in sound and invention, it evolves into another SV anthem which chews up the listener whilst stirring them into an outpouring of unbridled energy. Not Wired Up Right features a special guest in Ginger Wildheart on guitar and backing vocals on three tracks and it would be no surprise if this superb dirt-fest of a romp was not one of them such its unsterilized gutter nurtured rock ’n’ roll.
And there is no time to grab a breath as the outstanding Green Bastards steps in with a spicy groove which within another second launches virulent hooks and a pulsating flirtatious bassline from within its salacious temptation. With Jani adding his raw catchiness to the contagion, the track is pure infection and the best track on offer though closely courted by the likes of the rockabilly swinging Cellmates Of Lunacy. There is a touch of The Peacocks to the track but it is soon bound in the Basementones’ character of sound and expression as other spices adds to an increasingly compelling tapestry.
Wreckin’ Ball (Into The Pit) has a psychobilly snarl to its ballsier incitement straight after, vocals and rhythms again leading the addictive punk scented resourcefulness of the rapacious song though that steely yet almost primordial tone and character of Bailey’s bass is the prime fingering of lust sparked.
Showing an Elvis thrust of its hips, next up Rockabilly Ghost soon eclipses its predecessors, the song a mischievous tempting of melodic hooks, angular riffs, and lively rhythms as vocals play. As with those around them, you feel you know the song at heart but it never has expectations met as the song with a touch of UK band The Stargazers to it, flirts and swings with body and imagination.
Fusing garage punk and punk rock with fifties rock ‘n’ roll, the Dirty Jane sound prowls ears and psyche like a fusion of The Cramps, The Phantom, Dick Venom and The Terrortones, and Eighteen Nightmares At the Lux; a creative breed of temptation which instantly has ears and appetite inflamed as the single sonically and vocally shatters the silence. Within another breath, rhythms are prowling the senses with a lively almost predacious gait casting catchy menace for Brown to vocally embrace. With insatiable hooks equally grabbing ears all along his guitar’s swarthy grooves, a delicious grumble to Beadsmore’s bass alongside, and the whole of the band courting thick involvement with their vocal roars, the song demands lusty participation, Morris’ tenaciously swinging beats extra incentive.