Various Artists: Punkalicious Records Volume IV

Punkalicious Volume IV is the latest release from UK based label Punkalicious Records. With their signature compilation series they go out of their way to give unsigned and lesser known bands a chance to be featured, soliciting songs from bands directly and then choosing favourites. Volume IV contains the offerings from twenty new bands, and as is the case with all compilations, the styles and quality vary wildly.

Story to be Told’s Get You Down is an impressive slice of pop punk with a cool bass intro and a great vocal. Definitely a band to watch. Life’s Too Short from The Mistakes won’t win any awards for originality but their take on UK street punk is done well, while Unbeliver’s Candidate and Dead Retinas‘ Crowns on Hounds are both excellent. Te former is a mash up of noise funk and hardcore which has no right to sound as good as it does. The vocals in particular have a ferocious energy that elevate this song well above the mundane. The latter isn’t quite so successful, with its heavy bottom end and almost nu-metal style pushing the listener away before a killer chorus brings about its redemption.

Kilkovec’s Take it Easy starts like an 80’s goth classic with a Danzig wannabe on vocals, but this fades quickly and the song really kicks off with a great vocal and a melody that sticks with you long after the song is over. This, along with Launch Control’s brilliantly familiar, but not too familiar Cardiac Arrest are the two bands battling for top honours here, with Kilkovec just edging it.

With 20 tracks to offer, it would be quite a feat if every one scaled the heights, and that is definitely not the case here, however there is enough quality and range to merit seeking out further material from several bands. Overall this is a pretty successful compilation from a label who continue to provide a platform for unknown and unsigned acts to get their music to a wider audience.