Sunday 8 January 2012

Lockjaw Records review series pt 1 - Drones - Mutiny


Drones are a three-piece punk band from Camberley in the UK and Mutiny is their debut album. They are more akin to a hardcore band or Bad Religion than they are to you're newer, poppier punk band, which is good. Their album harks back to the days of fast, angry punk bands like AFI and also the crossover bands like DRI and Sick of it All. It's fast, loud, shouty punk with a good eye for rhythm. The songs are not too long, so don't outstay their welcome. Each track has an urgency to it that shows that Drones want to get on with things from the get-go. The screams of lead singer Daly George, fit in perfectly with the music, and back up the bands urgency. The guitars riffs employed are simple but lend themselves well to the pace of the rest of the album. This definitely feels like a knee-jerk reaction to the latest trends and is all the better for it. It reminds me a lot of Beastie Boys, and will certainly go down well in a live setting.

The album is 11 tracks long and it lasts about 35 minutes. Those crossover elements I was talking about show their face on fifth track Spite, with some really good thrashy drumming and intro riffs. There's also a Rise Against influence in some of the tracks and it makes you wonder if, as these guys develop, will they become Britain's answer to that band. It's no surprise either that Drones have been signed to the label that has bought us Dutch punks Antillectual, as Drones would sit right alongside them filed under, riotous, loud and top quality punk. The production for the album is really good as well. Normally you think of albums like this sounding slightly muddy and cluttered, but this is spot on and fits Drones sound perfectly. Ninth track, Raise The Arms, has a different sound to it, and more of a political stance to it. It starts with a clean sung intro, before launching back into the frantic, screamed punk that makes up most of this album. It's definitely more of a radio friendly song, but don't let that put you off, because it is really good.

I know I've compared them to a lot of bands, unintentionally, but sometimes drawing comparisons can help to pinpoint a bands sound, and give new fans a reference point that they can then form their own opinions from, so it can be worthwhile. Overall, Mutiny is a great sounding album. It’s produced well, the instrumentation fit’s the style perfectly and the vocals are fast and without a hint of being generic. I definitely think Drones are worthy of your attention. They make a great racket and they do it with a lot of integrity. With many bands claiming to be punk and then turning out to be no more than a glorified pop band, it's refreshing to hear that Drones are genuine and full of energy. Hopefully they will start to trigger a resurgence in dangerous, punk in the UK.

Mutiny is available for the princely sum of £5 via the Lockjaw records webstore at http://www.lockjawrecords.co.uk/site/shop, so you've really got on excuse for picking up and showing your support for a genuine punk band.

Also, drop by and show your support to Drones on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/dronesuk and Lockjaw Records as well at http://www.facebook.com/lockjawrecords.


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