Album Review: Footprints In The Custard – A New Low

A New Low is the fourth studio album from Footprints In The Custard, the band’s latest release follows on from 2017’s The Fanny Pee and their 2016 full length, The Descent Of Decency. In case you hadn’t guessed, and it really should be fairly obvious to anyone with most of their senses intact, Footprints In The Custard don’t take themselves all that seriously, to be honest that is something of an understatement, they don’t take themselves even remotely seriously. Despite the self deprecating approach that has served them well since 2006 they have managed to recruit Chris Edkins to bring some degree of maturity into their sound, if not the lyrical content.

The album’s title rack is a bombastic instrumental opener that hints at the aforementioned new found maturity, this is swiftly counteracted by the opening track Beer Goggles. Normally an album of this nature wouldn’t veer into The Punk Site‘s realm but boundaries are constantly being blurred and genre’s are crossing over making the question of where do you draw the line harder and harder to answer, there’s also the fact that Footprints In The Custard gleefully rip the piss out of metal’s worst excesses, something that is personified by Ride, My Little Pony, Ride! There is also the fact Don’t Be A Cunt is a great slice of crossover, one that carries a simple and worthwhile message that judging by the state of the world at the moment a lot of people still need to hear.

This is a ridiculous album that shouldn’t work, outside of Spinal Tap and Bad News comedy metal, at least when it’s done deliberately, usually doesn’t work, but somehow A New Low is not quite as instantly dismissible as you would probably believe, yes there are tracks that are just crass shock numbers but amongst this there is some genuine humour and even a dig at Donald Trump on Space Force. Somewhere between Andrew W.K.‘s bombastic enthusiasm, Wednesday 13‘s brutal horror punk metal, the brutality of grindcore and the good natured cartoon thrash metal of Acid Reign and Lawnmower Deth lies a set of Footprints In The Custard. 

A New Low can be streamed and purchased via Bandcamp here

Footptints In The Custard can be found on Facebook here