Album Review: The Band For Disease Control And Prevention – Human Versus Devil

The Band For Disease Control And Prevention are a female fronted quintet from the North East of the UK, Human Versus Devil is their sophomore album that follows on from their 2014 self titled debut album. Human Versus Devil was released in 2017 and this is an album that explores the constant struggle and dichotomy between the human and devil that exists within the psyche, this may sound like the territory of concept albums and bloated prog rock bands, but this is not the case as The Band For Disease Control And Prevention have a strict no guitar solos manifesto that thankfully prevents any self indulgent tendencies.

The opening title track, that features an appearance by the actor Phil Davis who reprises his role of the Devil from Being Human, reveals a strong influence from the early female punk rock pioneers, along with a strong post punk element. Human Versus Devil is an album that explores internal struggles, the dark side of relationships and the conflict that arises when challenging societies rules and expectations. The stark soundtrack and deadpan vocal suits the subject matter perfectly and it makes Human Versus Devil a hypnotic and unique album that may dwell on the dark side, but as the opening quote says, “it’s only the fucking devil sweetheart”.

The stark nature of the album means that Human Versus Devil is not an album that immediately grabs you, but over the course of the album The Band For Disease Control And Prevention slowly win you over with their old school charms, that recall the likes of X-Ray Spex, Penetration and The Au Pairs at their best. Whilst The Band For Disease Control And Prevention embrace punk and post punk origins they are not mired in the past, their influences might be old school but this is a band that have carved their own dark niche in the UK’s DIY punk scene.

The Band For Disease Control And Prevention‘s Facebook page can be found here

Human Versus Devil can be streamed and purchased here