Fake Names
Punk Ruins
With Refused meeting their end last year, Fake Names is ostensibly Dennis Lyxzén’s ‘main’ band now, which is a bit of an odd place to arrive at. This is a very side-project-coded outfit, mostly because, to all others involved, it is. Despite that, there’s never been a flippancy to Fake Names, or the feeling that it should’ve never left the garage. If there were, they’d have probably died on the vine before reaching this third album, alsoa good showcase of their abilities. Punk Ruins is more of Fake Names’ now-common fare—straightforward without being too basic or predictable, and ages away from the realms of geriatric vanity projects.
Lyxzén as a galvinising influence could be a factor, though even in the past, Fake Names have never hinged on their frontman to such a degree. This genuinely feels like a band where everyone’s giving it a good go. The spiralling guitar to see off Cover The Distance is great, as are the woozy post-punk bass of Diamond Buzz and the bright strokes of power-pop painted across Paradise. All three add to the shaped-out form of Fakes Names’ work, where poppier melodies inhabit the traditional punk bite. The snappiness of Punk Ruins is its killer app, aided by Lyxzén in fine stead. Taut and tuneful, he remains the band’s standout component, perhaps more than ever this time. Maybe it’s nothing, but there does seem to be a shift of that old Refused electricity to here.
With that in mind, it’s tough to definitively say whether Punk Ruins is Fake Names’ best album—they’re all much of a muchness, in reality—but for now, it’s feeling like it. Its impressive leanness and lack of droop over time are what sells it, on top of a foundational core of great, no-nonsense music performed by some of the best to do it. ‘Side-project’ reservations prove totally ignorable; as soon as Fake Names snap into place, they barely put a foot wrong. • LN
For fans of: Bad Religion, Refused, The Clash
‘Punk Ruins’ by Fake Names is released on 23rd October on Epitaph Records.
Gore.
…Then You Cannot Love Me
Following on from Gore.’s previous offering, If You Do Not Fear Me…, the concluding second part, …Then You Cannot Love Me, presents a powerful evolution. The importance of vulnerability throughout this EP is paramount, revealed through elegant interplay between soft moments and aggressive passages.
What You Paid For opens with a ferocious passage before segueing into a delicate display of raw emotion. The discordant, progressive style blends seamlessly with the haunting pop-led moments interspersed in-between. The simplicity of the quieter sections not only centres the lyrics and Haley Roughton’s clean vocal performance, but it also provides contrast between the arrangement, as well as the instrumental layers and distorted textures. A darker air surrounds Lead Me To The Slaughter. This track delves into a more shadowy form of aggression, revealed not only through punchier percussion and harsh vocals but also through the track’s sense of momentum.
Bones In The Garden continues the energy shift with an upbeat vibe that permeates through both the melodic and djent elements of the song. Balancing ethereal soft cleans that soar above a hard-hitting rhythm enhance Gore.’s use of jarring contrasts to enhance their sonic impact. The catchy melody and lyrical hooks of Crucified are energetic from the off. Balancing sonic elements of light and shade, prominent basslines give a quasi-funk touch, while the brutal breakdown throws the track temporarily into the depths. Starting with an atmospheric soundscape that builds a sense of anticipation, Walk On Water continues to explore themes touching on religion that appear across …Then You Cannot Love Me. Before long, another fiercely dark breakdown is found encountered.
Hollowed Ground is a softer offering with a ballad feel. Acoustic guitars and intimate vocals from Roughton lead into an enticing sound. Beneath the soaring and melodic layers, the guitars, bass and drums ground the track. Gore. unleash emotive power in Alone. The minimalist arrangement not only steers the focus onto the vocals, gentle synths and beats, but the space between these layers also emphasises the impact further. The full band emerge halfway through the track soon descending into a heavy breakdown. • HR
For fans of: Lake Malice, Defences, Future Palace
‘…Then You Cannot Love Me’ by Gore. is out now on Spinefarm Records.
VRSTY
ícon
Are we calling eight tracks a ‘full-length’ now, then? Not to begrudge VRSTY their creative process or anything, but for a band that actually does the slicker-than-slick R&B-core thing reasonably well, it’d be nice to hear a bit more. Then again, ícon’s best songs are both flavoured by the guests, so maybe it’s a case of a band not pushing their luck. Neither The Home Team nor Intervals are out of place next to VRSTY, but both have enough to be noteworthy, and ez2find and what’s the point draw the lion’s share of attention to themselves as a result.
Regardless, there’s enough to like about ícon on the whole. VRSTY have always been catchier than many of their peers, and that hasn’t changed. sugar does little to inspire initial confidence with a formless tumble of metalcore guitars, though it shapes itself well with a tight pop hook. face down, dear whoever and fake are all similar, just with unconscionably polished pop-core. It’s all testament to how capable VRSTY are when it comes to choruses, actively batting away some of the scene’s lowered standards. Thank Joey Varela for showing the value of a good singer in a not-typically-good framework.
That’s about as far as ícon goes, though. Again, if you’re looking for more, you’re reliant on VRSTY picking up some collaborators to steer the ship in their place. Their limits remain stubborn, though there’s evidence that they can be worked with. Even if it’s not much, VRSTY make the most of what they have, and that’s worth celebrating when it throws up decent results. They clearly respect your time, too; if ícon had been padded out to ‘normal’ length or beyond, its cracks would be much harder to tolerate. Left exactly as it is, you could do much worse. • LN
For fans of: Issues, Nevertel, Caskets
‘ícon’ by VRSTY is released on 23rd October on Spinefarm Records.
Niis
Play Niis
Okay, so maybe our prediction of Niis heading the next hardcore wave to come doesn’t look like it’ll come to pass. The indie-influenced wave pioneered by Scowl never caught on too widely, and with that band currently MIA, it probably won’t any time soon. That doesn’t mean that Niis are stuck, though; far from it. There’s still an unbelievable trajectory for them in the pipeline, perhaps even more so with the additional distance from ‘hardcore’ as a tag. The wide open space in front of Play Niis is just that noticeable.
Here, Niis acclimate to pure punk and alt-rock with no hassle at all. Across the six tracks on this EP, there’s not a loose fold or beat of uncertainty to speak of; the snap into place is instantaneous. Specifically, it comes from a natural Californication inherent in the band. Rather than the narrow crevice of beach-punk or garage-rock that’s been astoundingly easy to fall into in the past, Niis opt for something more ragtag and sun-blasted in Bad Aim or No Flowers. It’s good at retaining the spirit of hardcore, in lo-fi aesthetics that can snarl and throw fists uninhibited.
On the other side of the coin is a penchant for melody that’s only grown in the 18-ish months since their debut. Mimi Doe provides a near-flawless pipeline from indie dreaminess to ‘90s punk spit-flinging, with the occasional scream for DIY cred-keeping purposes. As whole compositions, Bad Aim and Big Fish Baby achieve the same, armed with plenty of propulsion. On the lighter front, Earthquakes and Westside play with tautness and jumpy, hyperactive basslines, almost in the vein of Wet Leg-style post-punk.
It all comes together as a package without a hitch, and, rather importantly, without feeling as though Niis are abandoning what came before. The same threads of punk, indie-rock and hardcore are all here, just woven and arranged in a different, arguably more efficacious way. If / when Niis really leave their mark, it’ll be with music like this, where the best of their constituent parts can shine far and wide. • LN
For fans of: Scowl, Dit Spitz, Wet Leg
‘Play Niis’ by Niis is released on 23rd October on Rise Records.
Words by Luke Nuttall (LN) and Holly Royle (HR)
