British two piece punk Slaves have been gaining momentum for a while now. The duo from Kent in England, have been dominating the British live scene. The release of their debut album Are You Satisfied? is just as electrifying as their reputation as one of the UK’s most intense punk acts.
‘The Hunter’ is a solid start to the album. The release opener features an intoxicating winding rhythm and unrelentless energy. A clear stand out, even early on during my first listening. ‘Cheer Up London’ a track that demands Londoners to get up and do something, their lives aren’t that bad they pronounce. In true anti-everything punk fashion, the lads even say ‘you’re already dead’. A few tracks down, ‘Do Something’ features the directness lyrically as ‘Cheer Up London’ - stop worrying and get moving.
‘Sockets’ is one of the tracks on the release that has commercial potential. Like most of the tracks, when you’re listening to this one it sounds best when you have it blasting at full volume. ‘Despair and Traffic’ displays the same intensity as the track prior.
The album’s title track provides a brief 1:30 of mellowness - much needed due to the high powered energy the album possesses. In this track, they swap their electric guitars for acoustic strumming, with Vincent acting as back-up vocalist crooning ‘Brother, are You Satisfied’. No fear, the exhilarating electric guitar riffs make a welcomed comeback in the following track ‘Wow!!! 7AM’.
‘Hey’ is one of the few tracks that could leave listeners divided. Though it’s vigorous sounds can be appreciated, vocally it’s the less potent track on the album. They bounce back with ‘Live Like an Animal’ - exhibiting the same menacing nature as the tracks opener. ‘Ninety Nine’ is one of the album’s finest highlights. The track also sees them experiment with recreating electronic sounds. ‘She Wants Me Now’ displays the same sort of rhythm as ‘Hey’, but without the vocal extremeness. The album closes on a cinematic note with ‘Sugar Coated Bitter Truth’, where they shout ‘Don’t trust the flies/They are government spies’.
The album contains high-bursting tracks that will only be just as dynamic live. Lets hope these lads make their way down under soon!
Written by Amy Smolcic
Slaves - Are You Satisfied?
Released: May 11th
Rating: 9.5/10
