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Blue Collar Decade

Beer & Loathing EP

Written by: PP on 20/09/2014 15:29:30

Even though Blue Collar Decade hail from Bridgend, South Wales, it wouldn't be at all surprising to discover their real home town to be Watford. So close is their similarity to the Watford hardcore scene which, among others, brought to us one of the most important hardcore bands England has seen in the modern era: Gallows. "Beer & Loathing" EP relies on a very similar dynamic with a throaty, rowdy vocalist leading the charge unafraid of using crude swear words or saying things like "you don't need no pussy, mate" with his thick English accent ("Beer And Loathing"), or using words like 'sugar' when talking about the opposite sex.

Instrumentally, the five track EP utilizes an extremely groovy approach to hardcore that has its roots in blues rock. It's very guitar-driven, in places recalling southern rock, which absolutely demands the "Orchestra Of Wolves"-era Gallows reference to be drawn out. But unlike most other bands in hardcore, Blue Collar Decade aren't loud, abrasive, nor do they need to resort to breakdowns to get their message across. Instead, the songs are loosely played and rely less on screaming and yelling than a coarse, smoky delivery that also draws parallels to The Ghost Of A Thousand on their first album. The tempo is also kept at a surprisingly slow pace, giving their expression a curious twist and curl to it that isn't present on your standard fare hardcore records. This is what makes "Beer & Loathing" EP a very good statement of purpose for the band - it is different, it sounds groovy as fuck, and it's very catchy especially on "Operator Please" and "Sugar".

But really, all four tracks (+ the intro) on the record are solid examples of British hardcore at its best, daring to challenge the status quo set by their American counterparts and by the melodic hardcore movement. Fans of the Watford bands mentioned in this review are highly recommended to check this out, especially since Gallows has long since then moved into a completely different direction as a band. There's real potential for a breakthrough debut album based on this EP.

Download: Sugar, Operator Please
For the fans of: Gallows, The Ghost Of A Thousand
Listen: Facebook

Release date 28.04.2014
Self-Released