Album Review: SLED – A Better You

After years of playing small tours and festivals around the world, without an actual album being released, SLED, who were formerly known as Pinhole Down, are finally set to release their first official full length, A Better You, via Bird Attack Records on the 15th September 2017. Aside from the bands core members SLED also feature members of Guttermouth, Whole Wheat Bread and This Is A Standoff to create something of a punk rock supergroup whose sound is firmly embedded in the roots of melodic hardcore and skate punk.

The frantic Numb And Dumb is a fine opening rallying call that is followed by the intense Let Go, and every single track that follows is a full tilt punk rock attack that will appeal to fans of the likes of heavyweight melodic hardcore pioneers such as Bad Religion, Pennywise and Propagandhi. The ten tracks contained on A Better You make up an impressive debut full length by anyone’s standards, and it’s one that lives up to the impressive catalogue of recent releases that Bird Attack Records have unleashed.

SLED have delivered a fine slab of intense melodic hardcore that embraces skate punk with just a touch of crossover thrown into the mix, and makes no mistake this a damn fine album of full throttle punk rock. My only issue with A Better You is the fact that there is no variation across the album, every track comes out of the traps like it’s been spiked with amphetamines, and as the chords fade out another breakneck riff kicks in. This isn’t really a complaint as there isn’t a weak track on SLED‘s debut album, but to me A Better You just ends up feeling slightly one dimensional, but having said that this is a solid debut release from a band with a fine punk pedigree behind them.

A Better You can be pre-ordered on CD, vinyl, cassette and digital formats here