Yeah, I know this review is super late, especially because punknews.org.uk have been extolling the virtues of these bands for what seems like forever. For the record, this CD got lost when I moved into my new house so…that’s my excuse. I’m bloody glad I found it a few days ago because it rocks like a total mother. Friends of Ed take the first nine tracks and DDAM finish with four, and they’re all slices of vitriolic hardcore doused with more than a bit of melody here and there.
You know, it’s bands like Friends of Ed that this country needs, as a short sharp shock to the system, and with abrasive outbursts like “Notes From Overground†and “When Will We Learn?†it’s clear that they have a lot to say and half no qualms about saying it very fast and very loudly. The band play like their lives depend on it, super-fast drumming backing the scratchy guitars and sledgehammer bass, from consistently thrilling hardcore to dropping in a melodic bar or two before smacking you about the head with their brick-like subtlety.
Their songs are bursts of adrenal anger, from the sneering “I Want†with its punchy lyrics and crunching guitar lines, weaving between relying on melody or rhythm. You get the sense that this is the raw sound of disillusionment since you’d have to search pretty hard to find anything resembling cliché, either in the music or the words, with recognisable subject matter that never once stoops to bullshit faux-liberal sloganeering. It sounds like protest songs should.
Drink Drivers Against Mothers weigh in with their brand of hardcore, and they have a more metal-based approach while still retaining the lo-fi sound and even managing to sound a bit like a (much) heavier Descendents (and I bet Phil’ll pull me up on that and slap me for being wrong, but hey, I think it’s true). They are more reliant on riffs, and as such distinguish themselves from the relentless nature of …Ed (check out the intro to ‘Degeneration X’ for an example of a fucking awesome riff) while still retaining the hardcore sensibilities and sheer breakneck pace. High-pitched vocals that veer on the screaming but always sound like an extremely pissed off bloke shouting lots, and that is meant in the best way possible. Yet again, if variety’s what you’re after then look elsewhere, because both of these bands don’t exactly push the envelope when it comes to innovation.
However, I guess it is an innovation in the jaded ‘scene’ of today to play with sheer honesty and passion, and not pandering to anyone. That’s a shame, but the fact remains that both …Ed and DDAM play a brand of hardcore that, while it’s not going to set win awards, deserves to make people sit up and listen for being abrasive and fucking vital right now. Do yourself a favour and get it – another shot in the arm for Best Foot Forward Records.
Ben