I've got 2 albums by these guys from Derbyshire to review, and they don't sell us short on quantity either, there's 20 tracks on the first and 22 tracks on the second. Their first offering from 2004 - 7 Inch Plus is your general simple Ramones style pop-punk-rock with no bells, no whistles, just straight up songs about a variety of subjects - some political, some personal, but the lyrics are always well put-together and have a good rhythm behind them, with their tunes reminding me a little of early Green Day. The mix sounds a bit sloppy, especially in the drums where the snare drum sounds slacker than porn-stars jaw, and generally it just lacks the 'punch' that you need with this kind of pop punk.
Apocalypse Babys have been going for about 16 years now and you would have thought after all that time they'd be stuck in one style and playing the same old tunes in the same old style, but the progression from 7 Inch Plus to their latest CD The More You Drink... is staggering. The vocals are gruffer and the feel is far grimier with a double dose more attitude and an extra kick in the teeth for energy. It's also way better produced, everything sounds exactly as it should - tight, heavy, compressed and, well, rocking.
www.apocalypsebabys.co.uk
Nik's rating for 7 Inch Plus is:
Nik's rating for The More You Drink... is:
