Signal Crimes Perfidious Albion LP
A solid debut from old hands from VIOLENT ARREST, GERIATRIC UNIT, FOUR LETTER WORD and MEATFLY. Perfidious Albion (an 18th Century French term of “Treacherous Britain” ) essentially reunites three quarters of HERESY, with Welly from Artcore zine on vocals. The early brute and mechanical Boston hardcore is such, plus underlying influence of a large swath of mid-’80s UKHC, and while this doesn’t seize on the speed of SIEGE that was so influential to that generation, it does echo some of that The Kids Will Have Their Say-style blunt, fast straightforward hardcore, twisted around a melodic, chorus-driven core. The strife and shadow of Brexit looms hard in these eight tracks, reactive in the best way of early hardcore. The vocals snarl over the top with clear condemnation of current greed, the soullessness of the digital world, the rise of the right wing, and horrific government rulers, while also reflecting about personal achievement and growth. It’s a worthy outing, with careful attention to the sleeve, and a great recording that captures their interesting balance of biting hardcore and punchy melodic punk—but maybe a nudge harder in either direction would sink the teeth in deeper.