Album Review: Brassick – 2.0

Think we need to address the title of this the 2nd full length from Brassick, if you were suckered in to thinking you might be getting something that remotely resembles or sounds like an album from back in the 90’s by a band called Garbage, then your truly in for a shock!  An assault on the ears, an altogether more socially conscious and angry, anti-fascist, anti-capitalist, anti-racist agenda can be found in this slab of fast and furious Punk.  So being lazy enough not to really come up with an original and catchy album title, can actually be totally forgiven when the content that lies beneath is so obviously the most important thing going on here.  

Coming out of the Midlands Brassick are Nicola Hardy – Vocals, Pete Macbeth – Guitar, George Chick – Bass and Tom Fenn – Drums, and being a female fronted punk band, comparisons are bound to be made, with the likes of  Vice Squad and GBH being 2 that seem to get touted for varying reasons. 

Launching into the first track “Vultures Of The Poor” you will be left in no doubt at all that Nicola as a front is a force to be not only reckoned with, but has all the power and conviction of someone who should! Be listened to.  A song that sets out the bands thoughts on capitalist realities and gives you a musical feel for what is about to come in sections of this amazingly varied and cleverly put together album.

What you get with “2.0” is some of what came before with the first album the self titled “Brassick” (why come up with snappy titles when its the music that counts) which could easily be touted as middle of the pack hardcore punk with smatterings of death metal guitar riffs.  But where this albums wins out and starts to throw Brassick toward the top of the pile, is its ability to surprise and throw you from pillar to post musically and lyrically.

Melodic, Angry, Powerful, Anthemic, and yes Compassionate are just some words that cover the sound and lyrical content within the whole of what your hearing in “2.0” stand out tracks that take this album to a whole new level for Brassick are “They Say” an anti war melody filled song that strikes of Anti-Flag but hits heights of conviction in voice that even they would struggle to reach, then there is “Aslinger” (google Harry Aslinger) and you will get the sentiment behind this perfectly well aimed song about how the past has shaped modern times in such a bad way, finally but not in the sense that this is all there is, because 14 tracks of diverseness in music and lyric fill the gaps brilliantly,  “No Longer”  the closest you could come to a ballad among all the fieriness of the album and with the line “The hate you spew, so fucking cold”  this speaks so much in so few words.

If Brassick weren’t on your radar then they should be now!  This years set the world on fire album so far.

Out on 17th April 2020 on all Formats

Pre order the album HERE

The Bands Facebook can be found HERE

TNS Records