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Member since:24.04.2003
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Review rated by 33 Ciao members on average: very helpful
Leatherface have been one of the most cruelly overlooked bands to emerge from the UK in the last 20 years. They have consistently made great melodic powerful punk rock, and have etched out their own sound. Quite a difficult thing to do in a genre that can rapidly run out of ideas and start to sound stale. Despite my love for punk rock even I can tire of the same idea being played out over and over again.
Letherface like all great punk bands have carved out their own unique sound you can tell a Leatherface song as soon as you hear the first note. Their totally unique guitar sound they have sticked to using Gordon-Smith Guitars (which are hand made in Partington near Manchester, and often cited as being the British equivalent to Gibson, I think that they are better), they switch effortlessly between intricate picking and good old fashioned strumming. You have Frankie Stubbs low North Eastern growl, Davey Burdens melodic bass lines and Andrew Langs wonderfully precise sharp drumming. This combines with superb songwriting, melodies and lyrics that at times makes The Smiths sound cheerful makes for a truly unique band.
This album "Dog Disco" is their 3.5th album (1) on the BYO (Better Youth Organization) Label and their first since the superb "Horsebox" realeased in 2000. The line up is now down to the core three piece of Frankie Stubbs (Guitar and Vocals), Davey Burdon (Bass and Vocal) and Andrew Laing (Drums and Vocal), and it is classic Leatherface from the opening track "Hoodlum" with their trademark guitar picking and powerful melodies, though at this point I do realise that they are really missing a second guitarist. This is no insult to the quality of playing I just think that they are better with two guitarists. "Heed The Ball" again is absolutely superb and it sounds as if the melodies is running backwards during the verse and suddenly leaps forward during the chorus, sorry but it is the only way I can describe it.
On the 5th track "Raga" Andrew Laing Takes over on vocals and this provides a break from Frankie’s melodic growl, but it is not really needed. Again this is simply great melodic powerful punk rock. Onto red Diesel and the switch from being med tempo to upper mid tempo and produce a great piece of yet again melodic hardcore.
Well there you go my edited highlights I think it is a great album not a patch on 2000s' "Horsebox" but a wonderful album featuring twelve great cuts of melodic punk rock. A truly great guitar album no fancy solos just three guys who really know how to play and do it well. It is also great that they are English/British/European rather than yet another bunch of kids in baggy pants with crappy tattoos from the US who were not even in nappies when Punk broke out. This is grumpy old men from the North East of England who play great music, but not like Dire Straits or Sting.
http://www.leatherface.uk.com
http://www.fairplay.demon.co.uk/
(1) the o.5 album comes from them doing a split LP with Hot Water Music
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23.08.2004 22:09
Great review !!! ~ philippA X. ~
19.08.2004 14:03
Great review, not sure I'd like it : ) Jayne x
18.08.2004 16:32
The kitten is not a fan then