Album Review: Turfboy – At Tension

‘At Tension’ is Turfboy’s debut full length via Horn & Hoof Records, it follows some EP releases over the eight years since they formed back in 2012, but after a couple of line up changes, they went from strength to strength.  It feels like this album is long over due, but the wait will soon be over, on the 8th August you can smash the room up to this 90’s alternative influenced grunge fest.

Bringing a sense of the Seattle to their own Irish brand of grunge/metal/punk/hardcore, Turfboy are now breaking down the boundaries of genres.

You could say that fans of Nirvana, Minor Threat and even Bad Brains would be perfectly at home dropping this sound into their ears, but that’s being a little simplistic.  The influence is with out doubt clear, but what hits you, is the unmistakable self styled sound.

‘Holly Daye’ kicks us off with subtleness of a sledge hammer, a vocal that has you reaching for the throat lozenges, but also has you captured for the entirety of the track. Musically this sets the album off perfectly, switching from grungy guitar riffs to interesting metal solo’s with ease and throughout giving every inch of punk attitude to the sound.

If having a whole album of West Coast grunge riffage and is your thing, then maybe this might be for you, but then again if you prefer hardcore ideology played in new ways, then this brings it too, ‘Rageahol’ and ‘Why’ come along  with exactly the latter, controlled hardcore might be a way to describe these slabs of anger filled moments in time.  Although there does seem to be a whole load of pent up emotion thrashing around throughout the whole album.

Every song throws up so many layers of musical history that is intertwined with self learning and a showcasing of Turfboy’s own sound.  ‘Not Like You’ and ‘Cyc’ bring this out wonderfully, Colin’s vocal is the core of course, it easily deals with the softer moments, then screams out all the rage with ease.

Finishing off with ‘Millie The Jeff and Subh The Snail’, am I missing something here?  Love to know what on earth this is about, but then do we really need to know?  Comes across very psychedelic in places,  and so the album ends, maybe that’s the point Hmmm. 

So, 90’s Nirvana esk sounds that have been blitzed with that Turfboy magic!

Pre Order the album HERE

Connect with the Band at their FACEBOOK

Check out the video for ‘Learn’ below