Year Zero – Brace For Impact

This debut album from Year Zero somehow passed us by on release, but this is the time to put this album right where it belongs, in the Punk Site’s sights (or ears would be a little more useful).

Being a debut, I’m as sure as I am that the world is spherical that the bands nerves were at breaking point just before release, now the wait is over, they need to sit back and revel in the applauds.  Since dropping into my mail, this album has been blasting out from every corner of my home and shaking the windows of the car, the problem with listening to something that excites you as much as release that is so simply punk and never pretends to be anything else, is actually finding time to sit down and write this review and not just listening to it.

Finally we have a band that hangs all its influences out of the window and let  them around in the wind for a while until they comes back all fresh and new, you could easily say that there are flashes of 70’s punk with the likes of The Adverts, Chelsea, Pistols and just about everything else you could think of, but then moving more up to date with the likes of Cyanide Pills or Kopek Millionaires, yet Year Zero have still managed to create an, of its time sound.

Throwing yourself headlong into the first track ‘Ruin My Town’ what is immediately apparent is the use of simple no nonsense chorus lines that sit at the heart of the majority of the songs, this angry song is given a sing-a-long feel, this style flows out of this album like a steady stream of alcohol.  The uncomplicated nature of the songs make it easy to see why they are also so infectious, ‘Details’ shows how this is achieved, with some canny riffs and hooks all wrapped around a message that pairs down the need to not bother with “the details, it won’t matter anyway”.

The tempo of this album is one of its winning traits, you have melodic punk that doesn’t try to shred the hell out of your ears, lyrics that are given consideration throughout, from ‘Secret Suburbia’ with its stories of suburban 50 Shades Of Grey, to ‘Trauma Doll’ a heavy addiction filled sassy little number, both take life from your? Town and thread them into what seem uncomplicated music, yet are filled with wonderful rhythms and hooks.

Slotted into the middle of the album is Cat Stevens social commentary song ‘Mathew & Son’ which at first seems a little of an odd choice, but being a song that covers workers slavery, is actually very poignant and relevant in todays times of modern slavery.

Altogether Year Zero have thrown together a debut album that not only should be listened to, but could well be up near the top of the pile for years to come.

Raucous Punk Rock with Rocktastic splashes of old and new sounds.

Don’t just take my word for it, go grab yourself a copy from HERE and tell me if I’m wrong! 

Grab some social time with the band too on their FACEBOOK